UC-NRLF 


B    3    bM3    bbT 


Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 


Theodore  Arthur  Buenger 
ll 


A   Thesis,   presented    to   the   Faculty   of   the   Graduate   School   of 

the   University    of    Pennsylvania,    in   partial   fulfillment 

of   the    requirements    for    the   degree   of 

Doctor   of   Philosophy 


Philadelphia,  Pa. 
1915 


PRESS    OF 

Steinman  &  Foltz, 
Lancaster,  Pa. 


The  writer  wishes  to  express  his  sincere  thanks 
to  Prof.  William  N.  Bates,  Prof.  Henry  L.  Cros- 
by, Prof.  Walter  W.  Hyde,  and  Dr.  Edith  H. 
Hall. 


330272 


CONTENTS 


Page 

I.     Introduction 7 

II.    Sources 9 

III.  Myths  about  the  Gods 11 

1.  Titans,  Idaean  Dactyls,  Curetes II 

2.  Zeus 14 

3.  Poseidon 16 

4.  Apollo 17 

5.  Hermes 18 

6.  Hephaestus 19 

7.  Dionysus 19 

8.  Hera 21 

9.  Demeter 21 

10.  Athena 22 

1 1 .  Artemis 23 

12.  Aphrodite 24 

13.  Asclepius 24 

14.  Helios 24 

15.  Eileithyia 24 

16.  Muses 25 

17.  Other  Gods 26 

18.  Summary 26 

IV.  Myths  about  the  Heroes 27 

1.  Earliest  Rulers  of  Crete 27 

2.  Europa 28 

3.  Minos 30 

A.  The  Cretan  Bull 32 

B.  Glaucus 32 

C.  Britomartis 33 

D.  Talos •..;..,;.... 35 

E.  Procris 36 

F.  Ganymede. 37 

G.  Pasiphae 38 

H.  Androgeus 39 

I.  Nisus 39 

J.  Theseus 41 

K.  Daedalus 45 

L.   Summary 47 

4.  Rhadamanthys 48 

5.  Sarpedon 50 

5 


6  Contents 

6.  Deucalion 50 

7.  Asterius 51 

8.  Idomeneus  and  Meriones 51 

9.  Catreus  and  Althaemenes 53 

10.  Orion 54 

11.  Odysseus 55 

12.  Epimenides 55 

13.  Summary 56 

V.    Ethnology  of  Crete 57 

VI.     Cretan  Colonies 61 

1.  The  Islands 61 

2.  The  Mainland  of  Greece 63 

3.  Asia 64 

4.  The  West 67 

5.  Summary 68 

VII.    Conclusion 70 

VIII.    Bibliography 72 


I.  INTRODUCTION 

Now  that  the  excavations  at  Cnossus,  Phaestus,  Hagia  Triada, 
and  other  places  in  Crete  have  given  us  certain  definite  facts 
about  the  earliest  Cretan  civilization,  it  is  perhaps  worth  while 
to  examine  again  the  mass  of  traditions  and  myths  clustering 
about  the  island.  What  information  concerning  the  early  state 
of  Crete  did  the  later  Greeks  possess,  how  does  this  square  with 
the  archaeological  evidence,  does  it  help  us  to  explain  any  of 
the  results  of  the  excavations?  These  are  the  questions  which 
must  be  kept  in  mind  while  going  over  the  traditions. 


II.  SOURCES 

Besides  the  many  writers  who  treated  one  or  another  of  the 
Cretan  myths  in  a  poetical  way,  there  were  a  number  of  men 
who  wrote  more  or  less  scientific  works  on  Crete.  Aristotle 
was  the  author  of  a  Constitution  of  Crete.1  Several  works  bear 
the  name  of  Epimenides:2  the  Origin  of  the  Curetes  and  Cory- 
bantes;  a  Theogony;  a  poem  comprising  a  Catalogue  of  Sacri- 
fices, the  Constitution  of  Crete,  and  the  Story  of  Minos  and 
Rhadamanthys;  Letters  to  Solon  on  the  Cretan  Constitution. 
Other  writers  mentioned  are  Xenion,3  Antenor,4  Petellides  of 
Cnossus,5  Alexander  Polyhistor,6  Dinarchus,7  Echemenes,8  Pyr- 
gion,9  Dosiades,10  Sosicrates,11  and  Lasthenidas.12  Ephorus13 
wrote  about  the  constitution  of  Crete,  though  probably  he  did 
not  devote  a  separate  work  to  it.  Menecles  of  Teos14  wrote  on 
Cretan  history  and  mythology,  Callisthenes  on  Cretan  laws.1* 

The  longest  and  most  consistent  report  of  the  earliest  "his- 
tory" of  Crete  that  has  come  down  to  us  is  furnished  by  Dio- 
dorus  Siculus,  V.  64-81.  He  bases  his  work  especially  on  the 
writings  attributed  to  Epimenides,  and  on  Dosiades,  Sosicrates, 
and  Lasthenidas,  stating  that  the  authorities  do  not  agree  and 
that  he  follows  the  more  probable  accounts.16     Strabo,  X.  4, 

1  Arist.  frag.  475.  P-  155^  Bekker. 

2  Diog.  L.  Epim.  1,  10,  5;  Ath.  VII,  288  E. 

3  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  'Apxsciov;  passim. 
4Ael.  N.  A.     XVII,  35- 

5  Hyg.  Astr.  II,  4. 
6Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  IV,  149 1. 

7  Dion.  H.  Dinarch  1,1. 

8  Ath.  XIII,  601  E. 

9  ibid.  IV,  143  E. 

10  ibid.  VI,  263  E.     . 
"Schol.  Ar.  Av.  521. 

12  Diod.  V,  80,  4. 

13  Strab.  X,  4,  16. 

14  Ch.  Michel,  Recueil  d'inscr.  Gr.  n.  66,  9  f. 
15Polyb.  VI,  45-  I. 

16  Diod.  V,  80,  4. 


10  Sources 

gives  a  geographical  description  of  Crete;  in  X.  3  he  discusses 
the  question  of  the  Curetes.  Many  valuable  notes  are  furnished 
by  Homer,1  Herodotus,2  Thucydides,3  and  a  host  of  others.  In 
fact  there  are  few  Greek  or  Roman  authors  who  do  not  touch 
on  Crete  in  some  way. 

1 II.  XIV,  320.     Od.  IV,  563;  V,  125;  XIII,  256,  etc. 
!  Hdt.  1,  171;  III,  122;  VII,  169;  etc. 
1  Thuc.  1,  4. 


III.  THE  MYTHS  ABOUT  THE  GODS1 

I.  The  Titans,  Idaean  Dactyls,  Curetes 

Diodorus2  says  that  according  to  local  tradition  there  were  in 
Crete  three  groups  of  divine  beings,  either  contemporary  or 
closely  following  each  other,  the  Curetes,  the  Idaean  Dactyls, 
and  the  Titans.  Since  the  Titans  play  a  greater  role  in  the  gen- 
eral Greek  mythology  than  either  of  the  others,  they  may 
properly  be  discussed  first. 

They  were  eleven  in  number,  six  male  and  five  female,  chil- 
dren of  Uranus  and  Ge,  or  of  one  of  the  Curetes  and  Titaea.  Ruins 
of  their  home  near  Cnossus  were  still  shown  in  the  time  of  Dio- 
dorus.  Each  one  of  the  Titans  invented  one  or  more  of  the  arts 
that  go  to  make  up  civilization,  and  for  this  they  received  divine 
honors.' 

Cronus,  the  oldest  of  the  Titans,  whose  beneficent  rule  ex- 
tended to  the  west  as  far  as  Rome  and  Carthage  (as  was  proved 
by  festivals,  sacrifices,  and  place  names),  introduced  justice  and 
sincerity.4  His  subjects,  as  a  consequence,  enjoyed  happiness 
such  as  poets  sing  of.5  Hyperion,  popularly  considered  the  father 
of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  was  the  first  to  study  the  motion 
of  the  celestial  bodies  and  the  change  of  seasons.6  Prometheus, 
the  mythical  fire-stealer,  was  in  reality  the  first  to  make  fire  by 
rubbing  two  sticks  together.7  Mnemosyne  invented  arithmetic 
and  gave  names  to  objects.8  Themis  was  the  author  of  religious 
and  secular  institutions  and  laws.9 


1  No  effort  is  made  to  give  an  exhaustive  treatment  of  the  Cretan  myths- 
Facts  that  do  not  concern  the  present  line  of  thought  have  been  disregarded. 

2  Diod.  V,  64-66. 

3  ibid.  V,  66,3. 
*  ibid.  V,  66,  4. 
BHes.  O.  ill. 

6  Diod.  V,  66,  4. 

7  ibid.  V,  67,  2. 

8  ibid.  V,  67,  3. 

9  ibid.  V,  67,  4. 

11 


12  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

An  odd  story  is  told  by  Diodorus1  about  Rhea  and  Ammon. 
Rhea  quarreled  with  the  other  Titans,  went  away  from  them, 
and  married  Ammon  in  Egypt.  After  a  time  she  deserted  him 
and  married  Cronus,  who  then  waged  war  against  the  Egyptian 
god.  Ammon,  fleeing  from  Cronus,  went  to  Crete  and  married 
Crete,  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  Curetes.  If  this  story  really 
represents  an  old  tradition,  it  must  be  rated  rather  high,  for 
it  is  practically  the  only  one  which  links  Crete  and  Egypt.  It 
may,  however,  be  nothing  more  than  a  product  of  late  syncre- 
tism. 

Now  in  his  report  concerning  the  Titans  Diodorus  is  evi- 
dently rationalizing  the  myths;  everything  supernatural  is  care- 
fully pruned  away.  Furthermore,  he  identifies  his  Cronus  with 
Roman  and  Carthaginian  divinities  which1  probably  have  not 
the  least  connection  with  him.  Nevertheless,  we  see  this  plainly, 
that  there  was  a  belief  that  the  oldest  divinities  in  the  Greek 
Pantheon  were  Cretan;  further,  that  there  was  a  tradition  that 
civilization  had  had  its  origin  near  Crossus. 

There  remains  then  the  question  of  how  much  of  this  tradi- 
tion was  merely  local  and  how  much  of  it  was  accepted  by  all 
Greeks.  The  Titans  are  not  clearly  localized  at  any  other 
place,  though  the  Titanomachy  was  said  to  have  happened  at 
the  foot  of  Mt.  Olympus.2  There  is,  therefore,  nothing  to  pre- 
vent the  assumption  that  the  Cretan  tradition  about  the  Titans 
represents  the  general  Greek  thought. 

There  are  more  traditions  connecting  the  Idaean  Dactyls  and 
the  Curetes  with  Crete  than  there  are  in  the  case  of  the  Titans. 
The  Dactyls  and  Curetes  are  often  confused  with  each  other 
and  with  similar  divinities,  the  Corybantes,  Cabiri,  Telchins, 
etc.  Of  the  contradictory  reports  concerning  the  Idaean 
Dactyls  the  following  facts  mentioned  by  Diodorus3  seem  to 
have  been  generally  believed:  they  lived  in  Crete,  they  were 
skillful  wizards  or  jugglers,  and  they  were  concerned  with  incan- 
tations and  mysteries.  Also,  they  invented  the  use  of  fire,  iron, 
and  bronze. 

Among  them  one  by  the  name  of  Heracles  stands  out  con- 
spicuously.    There  is  a  well  defined  tradition  that  he  was  the 

1  Diod.  Ill,  70,  71. 

2  Hes.  Th.  68o. 

3  Diod.  V,  64,  3,  ff. 


The  Myths  About  the  Gods  13 

Heracles  who  founded  the  Olympian  games.1  He  and  his 
brothers  were  worshiped  at  Olympia;2  he  had  an  altar  at  Elis,3 
and  at  Phrixa,  near  Elis.4  The  altars  at  Olympia  and  Phrixa 
were  built  by  Clymenus,  a  Cretan  decendant  of  his.5  He  ap- 
pears also  in  connection  with  Demeter  at  Megalopolis  in  Ar- 
cadia6 and  at  Mycalessus  in  Boeotia.7  The  tradition  which  tells 
us  that  Heracles  the  Idaean  Dactyl  was  worshiped  at  Tyre  and 
at  Erythrae8  seems  doubtful  as  far  as  Tyre  is  concerned,  for 
none  of  the  other  accounts  of  the  Tyrian  Heracles  connect  him 
with  Crete;  Erythrae  was  considered  a  Cretan  colony,9  therefore 
the  Heracles  worshiped  here  may  well  have  been  of  Cretan 
origin.  It  is  probably  the  Idaean  Dactyl  whom  Diodorus10  has 
in  mind  when  he  speaks  of  a  predecessor  of  Heracles  the  son  of 
Alcmene. 

Many  of  the  Greeks  then  believed  that  they  must  assume  a 
Cretan  founder  for  the  Olympian  games.  While  the  excavations 
at  Olympia  have  not  yielded  any  evidence  of  Cretan  influence 
at  this  place,  other  excavations  nearby11  prove  the  possibility  of 
such  influence. 

The  Curetes  are  known  principally  as  the  guardians  and  pro-  *\ 
tectors  of  the  infant  Zeus  at  the  time  when  Cronus  was  search- 
ing for  him  in  order  to  devour  him.12  Diodorus13  makes  them  the 
first  to  keep  cattle  and  bees,  and  to  practice  archery  and  hunt- 
ing. They  were  also  in  some  way  connected  with  the  origin  of 
social  life.  Finally  he  considers  them  the  inventors  of  shields 
and  swords  and  the  dance  in  arms  which  they  performed  to  drown 
the  wailing  of  the  child  Zeus.14     Servius15  says  that  they  were  the 


1  Diod.  V,  64,  6;  Strab.  VIII,  3,  30;  Paus.  V,  7,  4,  9;  Suid.  and  Phot.  Lex. 
v.  oute  'HpaxX-qq  izpbq  Buo. 

2  Paus.  V,  8,  1. 

3  ibid.  VI,  23,  3. 
*ibid.  VI,  21,  6. 

5  ibid.  V,  8,  1;  VI,  21,  6. 
*ibid.  VIII,  31,3. 
1  ibid.  IX,  19,  5;  27,  8. 
%ibid.  IX,  27,  8. 
9cf.  under  "Cretan  colonies." 
"Diod.  V,  76,  1. 

11  e.  g.  at  Kakovatos.  cf.  Ath.  Mitt.  33  p.  295. 

12  Call.  Jov.  52.  Apollod.  1,1,4.  Verg.  G.  IV,  149,  etc. 

13  Diod.  V,  65,  1. 

14  So  also  Serv.  Aen.  IX,  505. 

15  ibid.  Ill,  131. 


14  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

first  tillers  of  the  soil  in  Crete.  They  had  the  gift  of  prophecy,1 
an  oracle,2  and  a  share  in  the  mysteries  of  Idaean  Zeus.3  Some 
of  them  appear  as  eponymous  heroes  of  certain  Cretan  cities.4 

A  connection  of  the  Curetes  with  Euboea  is  indicated  by 
several  authors.5  They  are  also  mentioned  in  relation  with 
Tartessus.6  They  had  a  temple  at  Messene.7  Their  forms  were 
sculptured  below  the  images  at  Lycosura.8  The  Curetes  La- 
brandos,  Panamorus,  and  Spalaxus  or  Palaxus  went  from  Crete 
to  Caria.9 

The  Greeks  then  thought  that  Crete  was  the  original  home  of 
the  Dactyls  and  Curetes,  gnomes  and  semi-divine  servants  of 
the  gods.  They  may  be  the  demons  which  appear  so  frequently 
on  the  seals  and  in  the  frescoes  of  early  Crete.10  The  fact  that 
Zeus  himself  is  called  Roups  in  the  Palaikastro ~ hymn  may 
indicate  that  the  word  meant  "god"  or  divinity.11  The  occur- 
rence of  Curetes  in  the  traditions  of  widely  separated  places 
may  be  due  to  the  actual  survival  of  Cretan  influence  in  these 
localities. 

2.  Zeus 

One  of  the  best  known  of  the  Cretan  myths  is  the  story  of 
the  birth  of  Zeus.12  This  god  was  born  in  Crete  or  brought  here 
from  some  other  place  immediately  after  his  birth.  His  father, 
Cronus,  wished  to  devour  him,  as  he  had  done  with  his  other 
children,  but  Rhea,  his  mother,  substituted  a  stone  for  him, 
which  Cronus  swallowed.  The  armed  Curetes  performed  a 
noisy  dance  to  prevent  Cronus  from  hearing  the  wailing  of  the 
child  hidden  in  a  cave  of  Mt.  Ida  or  Mt.  Dicte.     Later  the 


1  Zenob.  IV,  6i;  Diogenian.  V,  6o. 

2Apollod.  Ill,  3,  i. 

3  Eurip.  frag.  475  Nauck. 

4Steph.  Byz.  s.  w.  "Itocvo?,  Bisvvt},  "Awpo?. 

5Strab.  X,  3,  19;  Nonnus,  Dionys.  XIII,  135;  Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  A"0r^O<;. 

6  Just.  44,  2. 

7  Paus.  IV,  31,  9. 
Hbid.  VIII,  37,  6. 

9  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  "Euocovo^. 

10 e.  g.  Furtwangler,  Ant.  Cemmen  pi.  II,  30,  32,  34,  36. 
11  Annual  Br.  School,  Athens,  XV  p.  339. 

u  Diod.  V,  68,  1:70,  1.     Apollod.  1,   1,  4.     Hyg.  F.  139;  13;  Astr.  II,  13. 
Call.  Jov;  Hes.  Th.  477;  etc. 


The  Myths  About  the  Gods  15 

Idaean  nymphs  took  charge  of  him  and  fed  him  on  honey  and 
the  milk  of  the  goat  Amalthea. 

This  legend  is  localized  not  only  in  Crete,  but  in  many  other 
places.  Pausanias  says  that  they  are  too  many  to  enumerate.1 
Mt.  Lycaeus,  near  Lycosura,2  Olenus  in  Arcadia,3  Elis,4  Thebes,5 
Chaeronea,6  Scepsis  in  the  Troad,7  Mt.  Ithome  in  Messenia,8 
Deusion  in  Lydia,9  are  some  of  the  candidates  for  the  honor  of 
being  called  the  birthplace  of  Zeus.  Many  of  these  are  in  regions 
where  tradition  and  the  excavations  permit  us  to  infer  Cretan 
influence.  It  seems  very  likely  then  that  this  story  of  the  birth 
of  Zeus  was  originally  told  of  a  Cretan  divinity  and  that  it 
spread  with  Cretan  civilization  to  surrounding  districts. 

The  nymphs  mentioned  in  this  myth  are  sometimes  called 
Curetes;10  otherwise  there  seems  to  be  nothing  distinctively 
Cretan  about  them. 

When  Zeus  grew  older  he  succeeded  his  father  Cronus  either 
peacefully,11  or  by  force,  fighting  a  great  battle  against  him  and 
the  allied  Titans,  in  which  Cronus  was  killed  and  the  Titans 
subdued.12  Zeus,  according  to  Diodorus,  excelled  in  courage, 
intelligence,  justice,  and  all  virtues.  He  put  an  end  to  violence, 
introduced  legal  procedure,  gave  good  laws,  and  established 
peace.  He  extended  his  rule  over  the  whole  earth,  everywhere 
putting  down  violence  and  injustice.  He  was  opposed  especially 
by  the  "Gigantes":  Mylinos  in  Crete,  Typhon  in  Phrygia,  a 
band  at  Pallene  in  Macedonia,  another  on  the  Phlegraean  Fields 
in  Italy.13     As  proofs  of  the  reign  of  Zeus  in  Crete  Diodorus 


1  Paus.  IV,  33,  2. 

2  Paus.  VIII,  36,  142.  Call.  Jov.  4.  Clem.  Al.  Protr.  II,  28,  p.  8  Sylb. 

3  Stat.  Th.  IV,  104. 

4  Schol.  Pind.  O.  V,  42. 

5  Lye.  1 194  and  schol;  II.  XIV,  1. 

6  Paus  9,  41,  6. 

•  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Exists;  Schol.  Pind.  0.  V,  42;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  134. 

8  Paus.  IV,  33,  2. 

9  Laur.  Lyd.  mens.  IV,  48. 

10  Arat.  Ph.  30;  Hyg.  F.  II,  2.     Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  132. 

11  Diod.  V,  70,  1. 

12  Diod.  V,  70,  1;  Theocr.  Syr.  2  and  schol;  Anton.  Lib.  36;  Musaeus  ap. 
(Erat.)  Cat.  13;  Epimenid.  ap.  (Erat.)  Cat.  27;  Hyg.  Astr.  11,  28.  Serv.  Aen. 
VIII,  319.  His  departure  from  Naxos  for  the  Titanomachy  (Erat.)  Cat.  30. 
seems  to  warrant  the  inference  that  Crete  was  the  scene  of  it. 

13  Diod.  V,  71,  2;  Ptol.  Nov.  Hist.  II. 


*- 


16  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

mentions  the  ruins  of  a  city  founded  by  him.1  His  marriage  to 
Hera,  near  Cnossus,  was  "proved"  by  an  annual  festival  in 
which  the  ceremony  was  imitated.2 

After  his  death  Zeus  received  divine  honors;  especially  was  he 
considered  the  god  of  the  sky  and  of  the  weather.3  His  tomb 
was  still  shown  in  late  times.4 

Euhemerus,  on  whom  Diodorus5  depends,  tells  a  similar  tale. 
Making  allowances  for  the  "Tendenz"  of  both  of  these  authors, 
there  remains  a  fairly  clear  tradition  that  the  Cretans  regarded 
Zeus  as  a  native  divinity  or  as  an  early  king  of  their  island,  who 
was  later  deified.6 

Now  it  does  not  seem  probable  that  the  worship  of  Zeus  was 
of  Cretan  origin.7  So  the  most  reasonable  inference  is  that  the 
Cretans  later  identified  with  Zeus  a  local  divinity.  The  story 
of  the  birth  of  Zeus  originally  may  have  been  told  of  this  god. 
Other  parts  of  the  Cretan  Zeus-myth  seem  to  suggest  that  the 
cult  of  a  deified  king  was  amalgamated  with  the  worship  of  the 
chief  god  of  the  Greeks.8 

Through  the  whole  of  this  legend,  however,  there  runs  the 
consciousness  of  a  high  state  of  civilization  in  Crete  at  an  early 
time,  of  its  origin  in  the  island,  and  of  its  spread  over  the  neigh- 
boring countries;  further  the  belief  that  Greek  religion  originated9 
or  at  least  received  important  modifications  in  Crete. 

3.  Poseidon 

Poseidon  is  not  very  closely  connected  with  Crete.  He  sent 
a  bull  from  the  sea  at  the  prayer  of  Minos,10  the  Minotaur  was 
sacrificed  to  him,11  the  Xfacrcj  xexpa  at  Phaestus  was  dedicated 

1  Diod.  V,  70,  6 

2  ibid.  V,  72,  4. 

3  ibid.  V,  71,6. 

4  Call.  Jov.  8;  CicJ  N.  D.  Ill,  53;  Porph.  vit.  Pyth.  17;  Clem.  Al.  Protr.  II, 
37,  p.  11,  Sylb.;  etc. 

6  Ennius  Euhem.  ap.  Lactant.  div.  inst.  I,  II,  44  ff. 

6  So  also  Cic.  N.  D.  Ill,  53;  Clem.  Al.  Protr.  II,  28,  p.  8  Sylb.;  Laur.  Lyd. 
mens.  IV,  48. 

7cf.  Gruppe,  Gr.  Rel.  u.  Myth,  in  Mueller's  Handbuch  p.  1100. 

8  This  was  already  an  ancient  theory  called  into  existence  by  the  difficulty 
of  believing  the  death  of  Zeus.     Serv.  Aen.  VII,  180;  Ptol.  Nov.  Hist.  II. 

9  Sail.  ap.  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  104. 

10  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  3;  II,  5,  7;  Zenob.  IV,  6;  Tzetz.  Chil.  1,  473. 

11  Schol.  Od.  XI,  320. 


The  Myths  About  the  Gods  17 

to  him,1  his  sons,  Otos  and  Ephialtes,  bound  Ares  at  Bienne  in 
Crete.2  There  are  more  points  of  contact  between  him  and 
Theseus,  but  as  these  do  not  directly  concern  Crete,  they  may 
be  omitted  from  this  discussion.  Diodorus,3  as  might  be  ex- 
pected, says  he  was  born  in  Crete,  where  he  invented  the  use 
of  ships  and  horses. 

4.  Apollo 

The  bonds  between  Apollo  and  Crete  are  strong.  According 
to  one  tradition4  he  was  born  on  the  island.  He  was  the  son  of 
Corybas,  a  Cretan.  He  contended  with  Zeus  for  the  control 
of  Crete.5  Apollo  married  Acacallis,  the  daughter  of  Minos,  who 
presented  him  with  a  number  of  sons:  Cydon,  the  eponymus  of 
Cydonia;6  Miletus,  the  founder  of  the  city  of  Miletus;7  Naxos, 
the  first  to  settle  on  the  island  of  the  same  name;s  Amphithemis, 
or  Garamas,  who  went  to  Libya.9  Anthilena  was  the  mother  of 
his  son  Oaxes,  after  whom  the  city  Oaxus  was  named.10  Apollo 
also  brought  the  nymph  Cyrene  from  Thessaly  to  Crete,  then 
to  Libya.11  He  invented  the  cithara,  the  bow,  and  the  art  of 
healing  in  Crete.12 

Apollo  was  worshipped  especially  in  Gortyn,13  Oricus,14 
Tarrha,15  and  on  Mt.  Styracium.16  As  Dromaeus  he  was  hon- 
ored in  Crete,17  as  Smintheus  in  the  Cretan  colony  in  the  Troad.18 


!Eust.  Od.  111,296. 

2  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  BtevVT). 

5  Diod.  V,  74,  4. 

4  ibid.  V,  74,  5. 

5  Cic.  N.  D.  Ill,  57;  Arist.  frag.  283  Bekker. 

6  Eust.  and  Schol.  Od.  XIX,  176;  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  KuSwvta. 

7  Ov.  M.  IX,  444. 

8  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  IV,  149 1. 

9  ibid. 

10Serv.  Eel.  1,66. 
"Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  11,498. 

12  Diod.  V,  74,  5. 

13  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  ITuGcov. 
"Schol.  Nicand.  Ther.  516. 

15  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Tappa. 

16  ibid.  s.  v.  STupdbuov. 

17  Plut.  Qu.  Gr.  8,  4,  4,  p.  724. 

uServ.  Aen.  Ill,  108;  Schol.  Lye.  1302;  Callinus  frag.  7.    Bergk;   Clem.  Al. 
Protr.  2,  39,  p.  11  Sylb.,  etc. 


18  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

To  Apollo  Ulius  and  Artemis  Ulia  Theseus  performed  sacri- 
fices before  sailing  for  Crete.1 

Apollo's  most  important  name  in  a  discussion  of  Cretan  legends 
is  Delphinius.  In  the  guise  of  a  dolphin  he  led  a  boat-load  of 
Cretans  to  Delphi,  where  they  founded  his  sanctuary.2  After 
killing  Python  Apollo  was  purified  by  Cretan  men.3  In  the 
same  way  in  which  Delphi  was  colonized,  the  Delphinium  in 
Athens  was  founded.4  Here  Aegeus  lived,5  here  Theseus  sacri- 
ficed to  Apollo  Delphinius  before  sailing  to  Crete.6  We  are 
probably  justified  in  assuming  (Apollo)  Delphinius  to  have  been 
a  Cretan  divinity  originally. 

The  Delian  Apollo  is  also  connected  with  Crete.  Theseus 
dedicated  to  him  the  statue  of  Aphrodite  which  Ariadne  had 
taken  from  Crete.7  On  his  return  from  Crete  he  danced  about 
Apollo's  altar  at  Delos8  and  instituted  an  aywv-9  The  Eire- 
sione  at  Athens  was  a  ly.eula  to  Apollo  which  had  been  vowed 
by  Theseus,  when  a  storm  drove  him  to  Delos  while  on  his  way 
to  Crete.10 

It  is  very  interesting  to  note  how  firmly  the  Greeks  connected 
Crete  with  many  of  their  chief  sanctuaries,  Delphi,  Delos,  and 
Athens.  We  may  consider  these  traditions  reminiscences  of 
actual  Cretan  influence  on  Greek  religion. 

5.  Hermes 

Besides  the  statements  of  Diodorus,  that  Hermes  was  born 
in  Crete,  that  he  there  invented  treaties  in  war,  weights  and 
measures,  trade,  etc.,11  there  is  the  tradition  that  this  god  married 
Acacallis,  the  daughter  of  Minos,  by  whom  he  had  a  son,  Cydon;12 


I  Pherecydes  ap.  Macr.  Sat.  1,  17. 

s  Hym.  Horn.  Ill,  387;  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  AeXipol;  Schol.  Arat.  p.  403,  Maas; 
Plut.  soil.  an.  36,  p.  984;  Etym.  M.  5.  v.  AeXfftvtoq. 
30rac.  ap.  Paus.  X,  6,  7;  Paus.  II,  30,  3. 

4  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  i%\  AeXiftvtto. 

5  Plut.  Thes.  12. 

6  Plut.  Thes.  17. 

7  Paus.  IX,  40,  3. 

8  Call.  Del.  307;  Schol.  II.  XVIII.  591;  Plut.  Thes.  21. 

9  Paus.  VIII,  48,  2;  Plut.  Qu.  conv.  8,  p.  724  A;  Plut.  Thes.  21. 
10Suid.  and  Etym.  M.  5.  v.  Eipcfftwvr).     Apostol.  XVIII,  67. 

II  Diod.  V,  75,  1. 

"Paus.  VIII,  53,  4;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  IV,  1491. 


The  Myths  About  the  Gods  19 

another  tradition,  however,  makes  Cydon  the  son  of  Apollo.1 
Hermes  violated  Apemosyne,  the  daughter  of  the  Cretan  Ca- 
treus;  Apemosyne  was  killed  by  her  brother,  Althaemenes, 
when  he  discovered  her  condition.2  There  was  a  festival  Her- 
maea  in  Crete  at  which  masters  and  slaves  exchanged  roles.3 
Hermes  was  worshiped  at  Gortyn  under  the  name  of  Edas.4 
Hermes  is  probably  not  to  be  closely  connected  with  Crete. 

6.  Hephaestus 

Omitting  Diodorus5  there  is  hardly  an  attempt  made  to  bring 
Hephaestus  into  any  relation  with  Crete.  His  role  as  smith  of 
the  gods  would  account  for  the  tradition  that  he  made  the 
crown  of  Ariadne6  and  the  bronze  dog  of  Europa.7  This  same 
fact  would  also  explain  his  connection  with  the  bronze  Talos.8 

7.  Dionysus 

According  to  a  local  legend  Dionysus,  son  of  Zeus  and  Per- 
sephone, the  first  to  make  wine  and  store  grain,  was  born  in 
Crete.  This  tradition  was  supported  by  another  local  legend 
relating  that  the  same  god  had  founded  settlements  on  some 
islands  near  Crete  and  had  called  them  after  his  own  name: 
Dionysiades.9  "Orpheus"  is  authority  for  the  statement  that 
Dionysus  was  torn  to  pieces  by  the  Titans,  presumably  in  Crete.10 
He  was  reared  by  the  Curetes.11  His  chief  connection  with  Crete, 
however,  is  by  his  marriage  with  Ariadne,  the  daughter  of  Minos. 
As  early  as  Homer  he  is  linked  with  her  in  some  way:  Artemis 
kept  or  killed  Ariadne  on  Dia  Acovucjou  jxapTuphfiaiv.12  This  was 
sometimes  interpreted  to  mean  that  Artemis  killed  her  on  the 
complaint  of  Dionysus,  because  she  and  Theseus  had  desecrated 

iEust.  and  Schol.  Od.  XIX,  176;  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  KuBwvla. 
2Apollod.  Ill,  2. 

3  Ath.  XIV,  639  B. 

4  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  'EBa?. 

5  Diod.  V,  74,  2. 

6  Arat.  Ph.  71,  and  schol.;  Serv.  Geor.  I,  222.  Eust.  Od.  XI,  321. 

7  Poll.  V,  38;  Anton.  Lib.  31. 

8  Simon,  ap.  Suid.  s.  v.  2apo6vio<;  yeXo^;  Zenob.  V,  85.  Apollod.  I,  9, 
26,  3.  Paus.  VIII,  53,  4. 

8  Diod.  V,  75,  4. 

10  ibid. 

11  Nonnus  Dion.  XIII,  135. 
"Horn.  Od.  XI,  321. 


20  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

his  temple.1  Hesiod  simply  says  that  Dionysus  married 
Ariadne.2  Another  story  has  it  that  this  took  place  after 
Theseus  had  left  her  willingly3  or  unwillingly4  on  Naxos5  or 
Dia.G  A  Cretan  variant  is  that  Dionysus  came  to  Minos  ask- 
ing for  Ariadne's  hand  and  was  not  refused.7  Children  of 
Dionysus  and  Ariadne  were  Staphylus,8  Thoas,9  Oenopion, 
Latramus,  Euanthes,  Tauropolis,10  and  Maron,11  some  of  whom 
appear  as  rulers  of  certain  of  the  Cyclades. 

Glaucus,  the  marine  god,  who  molested  Ariadne  on  Dia,  was 
punished  by  Dionysus.12  Psalacanthe,  a  nymph,  was  treated  in 
the  same  way  for  a  similar  offence.13  Dionysus  brought  Ariadne 
to  Donusia  (=  Dionysia),  an  island  near  Rhodes,  when  Minos 
pursued  them.14  At  the  Oschophoria  in  Athens  staffs  were  car- 
ried in  honor  of  Dionysus  and  Ariadne.15  After  Ariadne's  death 
and  burial  in  the  temple  of  Dionysus  Cresios  at  Argos,16  Dionysus 
apotheosized  her17  and  put  her  crown18  and  a  lock  of  her  hair 
among  the  stars.19 

This  group  of  myths  seems  to  reflect  the  fact  that  an  early 
development  of  the  Dionysus  myth  took  place  in  Crete.  Ari- 
adne, only  a  heroine  in  the  traditions,  seems  to  have  been  a 
goddess  originally,  who  was  soon  paired  with  Dionysus.     The 


1  Schol.  ad  1.  c;  Ap.  Rh.  IV,  420;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  997;  (Erat.)  Cat.  5; 
Ath.  VII,  296;  A. 

2  Hes.  Th.  947. 

3Catull.  64,  171;  Stat.  Th.  XII,  665;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  997;  etc. 

4  Serv.  Geor.  I,  222;  Theocr.  II,  45,  and  schol.;  Paus.  X,  29,  3. 

5  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  997;  Sen.  Here.  Oet.  488;  Serv.  Geor.  1,  222;  etc. 

6  Probus  Geor.    1,  221;  Ov.  M.  VIII,  153;  Hyg.  F.  43;  etc.     Dia  =  Naxos: 
Eust.  and  Schol.  Od.  XI,  321;  Schol.  Theocr.  11,  45;  etc. 

7  Schol.  Arat.  p.  192  Maas;  Hyg.  Astr.  II,  5. 

8  Plut.  Thes.  20;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  in,  997. 

9Ov.  Her.  VI,  114;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  997;  Ap.  Rh.  IV,  423. 
10  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  997. 
"Theophil.  ad  Autolyc.  II,  94. 

12  Ath.  VII,  296  A. 

13  Ptol.  Nov.  Hist.  4. 
"Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  Aovoualx 

15  Plut.  Thes.  23;  Phot.  Bibl.  322  a  13  Bekker. 
"Paus.  II,  23,  7. 

17  Hes.  Th.  947;  Hyg.  F.  224;  Ov.  F.  Ill,  439. 

18  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  995;  Arat.  Ph.  71;  Ath.  XV,  684. 

19  (Erat.)  Cat.  5;  Schol.  Arat.  p.  192  Maas. 


The  Myths  About  the  Gods  21 

linking  of  Crete  and  Naxos  in  these  stories  agrees  with  the 
legends  of  Cretan  colonization  of  most  of  the  islands  of  the 
Aegean.     These  will  be  discussed  later. 

8.  Hera 

Hera  is  not  very  closely  linked  with  Crete.  Omitting  the 
statements  of  Diodorus  that  she  was  born  in  Crete1  and  that  she 
married  Zeus  near  Cnossus,2  there  is  only  the  legend  that  Zeus 
and  Hera,  coming  from  Crete,  landed  at  Hermion  in  the  Argo- 
lid.3     She  was  considered  the  mother  of  the  Cretan  Eileithyia.4 

q.  Demeter 

Demeter  is  more  intimately  connected  with  Crete.  Diodorus 
indeed  is  the  only  author  who  says  she  was  born  here.5  The 
first  sowing  of  the  seed  was  thought  to  have  occurred  in  Crete, 
in  Egypt,  Athens,  Sicily,  and  other  places.6  The  rape  of  Per- 
sephone was  sometimes  fixed  in  Crete7  though  usually  in  Sicily.8 
In  the  Homeric  Hymns9  Demeter  herself  relates  a  fictitious  tale 
that  pirates  brought  her  from  Crete  to  Thoricus.  She  came 
from  Crete  to  Attica,  the  very  name  of  her  chief  cult  place  there, 
Eleusis  (to  be  derived  from  IXGsTv  according  to  Diodorus), 
proving  that  she  was  not  indigenous.10  The  fact  that  her  mys- 
teries, secret  at  Eleusis,  were  performed  publicly  in  Crete 
was  held  to  be  further  proof  of  her  Cretan  origin.11  From 
Eleusis  Demeter  was  said  to  have  gone  to  Sicily  and  Egypt.12 

The  chief  story  binding  Demeter  to  Crete  is  the  Iasion  myth. 
The  goddess  loved  Iasion  and  was  united  to  him  in  the  thrice 
plowed  field.     Iasion  was  killed  for  his  impiety  by  the  lightning 


1  Diod.  V,  68,  i. 

2  ibid.  V,  72,  4. 

3  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  'Epfitt 

4  Paus.  r,  18,  4. 

5  Diod.  V.  68,  1. 

6  ibid.  V,  69. 

7  Schol.  Hes.  Th.  913. 

8  Diod.  V,  69,  3. 

9  Hym.  Horn.  V,  123. 

10  Diod.  V,  69,  2. 

11  ibid.  V,  77,  3. 

12  ibid. 


22  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

of  Zeus.1  Homer  does  not  fix  this  story  in  Crete,  but  Hesiod 
does,  and  there  are  other  writers  who  place  the  event  in  Crete,2 
though  rival  claims  are  made  for  Samothrace.3 

These  Demeter  stories  show  that  the  Greeks  had  a  feeling  that 
at  a  very  early  time  Crete  was  a  grain-producing  country,  i.  e., 
fairly  well  civilized,  and  that  from  Crete  other  countries  were 
taught  agriculture.  We  are  probably  not  justified  in  making 
Demeter  a  Cretan  goddess,  although  at  some  places,  e.  g., 
Eleusis,  a  divinity  originally  Cretan  may  have  been  later  iden- 
tified with  Demeter.4  At  Megalopolis,  in  Arcadia,  and  Mycales- 
sus,  in  Boeotia,  the  connection  of  Heracles,  the  Idaean  Dactyl 
(q.  v.),  with  Demeter  seems  to  suggest  a  Cretan  origin  for  the 
goddess  worshiped  at  these  places. 

10.  Athena 

Cretan  tradition  placed  the  birth  of  Athena  at  the  Cretan 
river  Triton,  where  a  place  sacred  to  her  preserved  the  memory 
of  the  event.5  Aristocles  says  she  was  born  in  Crete  out  of  a 
cloud  split  by  the  axe  of  Zeus.8  In  Praesus  she  was  considered 
the  mother  of  the  Corybantes-Curetes.7  "Orpheus"  calls 
her  the  leader  of  the  Curetes.8  She  told  Theseus  to  leave 
Ariadne;9  together  with  Dionysus  she  was  honored  for  this 
epiphany  on  Dia  by  the  Athenian  festival  of  the  Oschophoria.10 
The  Argonauts  built  an  altar  to  Minoan  Athena  in  Crete.11  She 
was  the  patron-goddess  of  Gortyn.12  Daedalus  made  a  statue  of 
her  in  Cnossus.13     Athenia  Coresia  had  a  sanctuary  at  Corion.14 


iOd.  V,  125;  Hes.  Th.  969;  Diod.  V,  76,  I. 

2  Paus.  V,  7,  4;  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  Hi;  Eustath.  and  schol.  Od.  V,  125;  Schol. 
Theocr.  Ill,  50;  Hyg.  F.  270. 

3  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1,  917;  Dion.  H.  A.  R.  1,  61;  Apollod.  Ill,  12,  1. 

4  P.  Foucart,  Les  Myst.  d'Eleus.,  thinks  Demeter  was  originally  Egyptian. 

5  Diod.  V,  72,  3. 

6  Schol.  Pind.  O.  VII,  66. 

7  Strabo  X,  3,  19. 

8  Procl.  ad.  Plat.  Crat.  p.  406  D. 
"Schol.  Od.  XI,  320. 

10  Phot.  Bibl,  p.  322  a  13  Bekker. 
"Ap.  Rh.  IV,  1689. 
"Solin.  XI,  9. 

13  Paus.  IX,  40,  3. 

14  Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  Koptov. 


The  Myths  About  the  Gods  23 

A  festival  Oleria  was  celebrated  in  honor  of  Athena  Oleria  by 
the  Hierapytnians.1 

We  can  hardly  make  Athena  a  Cretan  unless  we  follow  Grup- 
pe's  somewhat  far-fetched  suggestion2  that  Triogteneia  may  be 
the  same  as  Tritonis,  and  that  Tritonis  is  the  female  companion 
of  Triton,  who  is,  perhaps,  to  be  identified  with  Delphinius. 

ii.  Artemis 

The  birth  of  Artemis  in  Crete  is  not  vouched  for  by  anybody 
but  Diodorus.3  Still  Crete  was  her  favorite  haunt,4  though  no 
doubt  this  report  is  caused  to  a  great  extent  by  her  identifica- 
tion with  Britomartis.5  Procris  went  to  Crete  intending  to  join 
her  train.6  Orion  hunted  with  her  and  Leto  in  Crete,  tried  to 
violate  her,  and  was  killed  by  the  scorpion  Ge  sent.7  Theseus 
made  a  vow  to  Artemis  Ulia  and  Apollo  Ulius  before  sailing  to 
Crete.8  Artemis  kept  or  killed  Ariadne  on  Dia.9  Theseus  built 
a  temple  of  Artemis  Soteira  at  Troezen  on  his  return  from 
Crete.10  A  xoanon  of  the  Brauronian  Artemis  was  brought  to 
Crete  by  Pollis  and  Delphus,  but  lost  near  Cheronesus.11  The 
palladium  and  the  priestess  of  Artemis  Knagia  in  Sparta 
originally  came  from  Crete.12 

If  Artemis  is  to  be  considered  a  development  of  xoxvta  Oqpuv, 
the  tradition  which  has  here  come  from  Crete  may  after  all  be 
correct,  for  a  similar  goddess  occurs  in  early  Cretan  art.13 


^teph.  Byz.  s.  v.  'QXepioc  'AOrjva. 

2  Gr.  Myth.  u.  Rel.  in  Muellers  Handbuch,  p.  250. 

3  Diod.  V,  77,  6. 

4  Schol.  II.  XIX,  1;  Call.  Dian.  40;  Sen.  Phaedr.  60;  Priap.  76,  6;  Hyg.  F. 
189. 

6  Diod.  V,  76,  3;  Schol.  Eur.  Hipp.  145;  etc. 

6  Hyg.  F.  189. 

7  Hes.  ap.  (Erat.)  Cat.  32;  ap.  Schol.  Arat.  p.  247,  p.  405  Maas;  Hyg.  Astr. 
II,  34- 

8Macr.  Sat.  1,  17. 

9  Horn.  Od.  XI,  321. 
10Paus.  II,  31,  1. 
11  Plut.  mulier.  virt.  p.  247. 
uPaus.  Ill,  18,  4. 
13  Annual  of  the  British  School  in  Athens,  VII,  p.  29. 


24  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

12.  Aphrodite 

Aphrodite  is  not  mentioned  very  frequently  in  Cretan  legend. 
Aside  from  what  might  be  expected  in  Diodorus:1  that  she  was 
born  in  Crete,  and  that  she  was  concerned  with  the  things  relat- 
ing to  marriage,  we  have  few  other  statements  connecting  her 
with  our  island.  Her  image,  which  Ariadne  had  given  to 
Theseus,  was  dedicated  by  him  to  Apollo  at  Delos.2  Temples 
of  Aphrodite  were  built  by  the  Cretan  Phaedra  at  Athens,3  at 
Zerynthia  in  Thrace,4  and  at  Troezen.5  She  was  identified  with 
Ariadne  in  Cyprus.6 

13.  Asclepius 

The  case  stands  similarly  for  Asclepius.  Diodorus  has  him 
born  in  Crete.7  According  to  one  tradition  he,  not  Polyidus, 
brought  Glaucus,  the  son  of  Minos,  back  to  life.8  His  sanctu- 
ary at  Lebenos  was  famous  even  in  Libya.9 

14.  Helios 

Helios,  the  father  of  Pasiphae,10  was  considered  also  the  father 
of  the  Corybantes-Curetes,  Athena  being  thought  their  mother.11 
Rhadamanthys  was  educated  in  Rhodes  by  the  daughters  of 
Helios.12     Otherwise  Helios  does  not  concern  Crete. 

15.    ElLEITHYIA 

Eileithyia  seems  to  be  a  Cretan  goddess.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Zeus  and  Hera,13  born  at  Amnisus  near  the  river  of  the  same 


1  Diod.  V,  73,  2. 

2Paus.  IX,  40,  3;  Call.  Del.  307. 

3Schol.  II.  XI,  320. 

4Schol.  Lye.  449. 

s  ibid.  610. 

6  Paeon  of  Amathus  ap.  Plut.  Thes.  20. 

7  Diod.  V,  74-  6. 

8Apollod,  III,  10,  3,  12;  Hyg.  Astr.  II,  14;  F.  59;  Prop.  II,  I,  60. 

»Philostr.  Ap.  T.  IV,  35- 

"Schol.  Lye.  431;  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  995;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14;  Schol.  Eur.  Hipp. 
47;  Hyg.  F.  40. 
"Strab.  X,  3,  19. 

12  Etym.  M.  5.  v.  'PaSajAavOuq. 

13  Hes.  Th.  921;  Paus.  1,  18,  4;  Diod.  V,  72,  5. 


The  Myths  About  the  Gods  25 

name,1  where  her  cave  was  shown.2  According  to  one  report  she 
was  the  mother  of  Iasion,  the  lover  of  Demeter.3  The  Cretan 
plant  dictamnus  was  employed  to  make  her  wreath.4  Eilei- 
thyia  was  honored  especially  at  Inatos  in  Crete;5  she  also  had  a 
temple  in  Athens  which  contained  two  statues  dedicated  by 
Phaedra.6 

16.  The  Muses 

According  to  Diodorus  the  Muses,  children  of  Zeus,7  invented 
poetry  and  the  art  of  writing  in  Crete.8  One  other  author  says 
that  they  invented  the  alphabet  and  taught  Orpheus  the  art  of 
reading.9  The  Cretan  tradition  is  that  the  Syrians  and  Phoenic- 
ians received  the  alphabet  from  Crete  and  made  only  slight 
changes  in  the  forms  of  the  letters.10  The  tradition  that  Crete 
was  the  cradle  of  the  alphabet  occurs  several  times  in  Greek 
literature;  the  name  "Phoenician"  applied  to  the  letters  was 
said  to  be  due  to  the  fact  that  they  were  first  written  on  leaves 
of  the  palm  tree,  the  tpolvts.11 

The  Muses  figure  also  in  a  singing  contest  with  the  Sirens  in 
Crete.  When  beaten,  the  Sirens  threw  off  their  wings  or  were 
deprived  of  them  by  the  Muses.  These  used  them  to  adorn 
their  heads.  The  place  where  this  contest  occurred  was  there- 
fore called  Aptera.12 

The  tradition  of  the  origin  of  the  alphabet  in  Crete  is  ex- 
tremely interesting  in  the  light  of  the  discovery  of  very  early 
Cretan  writings.13  It  may  very  well  be  that  the  Greek  letters 
did  originate  in  Crete.     The  Muses  can  hardly  be  claimed  for 


1  Paus.  I,  18,  4;  Nonnus.  Dion.  VIII,  115;  Verg.  Cir.  326. 

2  Horn.  Od.  XIX,  188. 

3  Hyg.  F.  270. 

4  Euphorion  ap.  Schol.  Arat.  p.  347  Maas. 
5Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  E'l'vaTOq. 

6  Paus.  1,  18,  4. 

7  Diod.  V,  72,  5. 

8  ibid.  V,  74,  1. 

9  Alcidamas,  Odyss.  against  Pal.  5. 
10  Diod.  V,  74,  1. 

uDosiades  ap.  Bekker  Anecd.  p.  783,   14;  Apostol.  XVII,  89:  Suid.  and 
Phot.  Lex  s.  v.  <J>oivtXY)Ya  ypaWJUXTa. 

12  Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  "AxTepa;    Schol.    Lye.  653;  Sarcophagus  in  Metrop. 
Mus.,  New  York. 

13  A.  J.  Evans,  Scripta  Minoa. 


26  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

Crete,  the  Sirens  are  perhaps  oriental;  so  the  story  of  the  musical 
contest  may  be  nothing  more  than  an  attempt  to  explain  the 
wings  on  the  heads  of  the  Muses  and  to  give  an  etymology  of 
Aptera. 

17.  Other  Gods 

Diodorus  also  fixes  in  Crete:  Hades,1  the  Charites,  the  Horae, 
Eunomia,  Dike,  and  Irene.2  Ares,  whom  he  also  mentions,3 
occurs  once  again  in  connection  with  the  town  of  Bienne.4 
Other  divinities  said  to  pertain  to  Crete  in  some  way  are:  Ge, 
who  sent  a  scorpion  to  kill  Orion,5  Hellotis,  who  was  considered 
a  Cretan  equivalent  of  Europa,6  and  the  Harpies,  who  escaped 
from  Boreas  and  Zethes  by  hiding  themselves  in  a  Cretan  cave.7 
Diodorus  closes  his  discussion  of  the  gods  of  Crete  by  saying 
that  the  Cretans  claim  the  origin  of  all  the  other  gods.8 

18.  Summary 

There  was  then  a  Cretan  tradition,  preserved  in  a  more  or 
less  distorted  form  in  Diodorus,  that  practically  all  of  the  Greek 
gods  were  originally  Cretan  divinities.  This  was  not  the  gen- 
eral Greek  belief.  Some  of  the  gods  were  indeed  universally 
admitted  to  be  of  Cretan  origin,  but  most  of  them  were  thought 
to  have  come  from  other  places,  and  rightly  too.  The  Cretan 
form  of  the  tradition  may  have  been  due  to  local  pride,  or  to 
later  rationalizing  authors,  Euhemerus  especially,  or  perhaps  to 
a  vague  memory  of  the  former  glory  and  influence  of  Crete  in 
secular  and  religious  matters. 


iDiod.  V.  68,  1:69,  5. 

2  ibid.  V,  72,  5. 

*ibid. 

4Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Btevvr]. 

5  Hes.  ap.  Schol.  Arat.  p.  247  Maas. 

c  Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  T6gzoq. 

7  Ap.  Rh.  II,  434  and  schol;  Ap.  Rh.  II,  299. 

8  Diod.  V,  77,  8. 


IV.  THE  MYTHS  ABOUT  THE  HEROES 
i.  The  Earliest  Rulers  of  Crete 

After  the  great  gods  we  must  next  take  up  the  heroes  of 
Cretan  mythology.  The  names  of  Minos,  Rhadamanthys,  and 
Sarpedon  stand  out  most  prominently,  but  before  considering 
these  it  will  be  best  to  mention  a  few  shadowy  figures  of  men 
who  are  said  to  have  preceded  them  in  the  rule  of  Crete 

There  is  Zeus,  not  the  divinity,  but  a  human  being,  an  early 
king  of  Crete.1 

Then  follows  Cres,2  son  of  Zeus  and  the  nymph  Idaea,8  or  an 
autochthon,4  belonging  to  the  Eteocretans  according  to  local 
tradition.6  His  date  is  sometimes  put  down  as  late  as  the 
Dorian  invasion.6  He  is  probably  identical  with  Cretes,7  and 
the  Curete  ruler  of  the  island,  whose  daughter  Ammon  married.8 
The  line  of  descent  from  him  is  as  follows:  Talos,  Hephaestus, 
Rhadamanthys.9 

Asterion  or  Asterius,  who  married  Europa  and  reared  her 
children,  °  is  another  predecessor  of  Minos.  He  is  identified 
with  the  god  Zeus,11  or  with  the  mortal  Zeus,  the  father  of  Minos.12 


iDiod.  Ill,  61,  i. 

2  Clem.  Al.  Str.  I,  21,  p.  138  Sylb.;  Plin.  N.  H.  IV,  12,  20. 

3  Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  KpTjTTQ. 

*ibid.;  Herodian.  Pros.  12,  p.  342  Lentz. 
6  Diod.  V,  64,  1 ;  Scymnus  Chius  533  f. 

6  Andron  ap.  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Awpwv. 

7  Mart.  Cap.  VI,  659. 

8  Diod.  Ill,  71,  2. 

9  Cinaethon  ap.  Paus.  VIII,  53,  4. 

10  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  Mivtoq;  Nonnus  Dion.  1,  354;  II,  693;  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  f. 

11  Lye.  1301  and  schol. 
12Tzetz.  Chil.  1,  473. 

27 


28  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

He  is  also  said  to  have  been  the  Cretan  king  for  whom  his  gen- 
eral Taurus  carried  off  Europa.1 

Tradition  has  it  that  Taurus  too  was  king  of  Crete  and  carried 
off  Europa  after  having  taken  Tyre  by  storm.2 

It  is  difficult  to  say  anything  definite  about  these  rulers. 
Some  of  them,  Zeus,  Taurus,  seem  to  have  been  invented  in 
the  attempt  to  rationalize  myths.  Cres  may  be  simply  an 
etymological  abstraction.  Asterion-Asterius  is  known  from 
other  sources  to  have  been  a  divinity;3  his  connection  with 
Crete  is  also  implied  by  the  fact  that  Asteria  is  one  of  the  names 
of  Crete.4 

2.  Europa 

Europa,  the  mother  of  Minos,  was  according  to  tradition  the 
daughter  of  the  Phoenician  king  Agenor,5  or  Phoenix,6  and  of 
his  wife  Cassiepeia,7  Phoenix,8  Tyro,9  Telepha(n)e,10  Telephasse,11 
Telephe,12  or  Argiope."  She  was  carried  off  to  Crete  by  Zeus, 
who  had  assumed  the  shape  of  a  bull  ;14  by  him  she  was  the  mother 
of  Minos,  Rhadamanthys,15  and  Sarpedon,16  or  Aeacus,17  or  Phoe- 
nix.18 Talos  is  called  the  brother  of  Minos  and  Rhadamanthys,  so 
probably  he  too  was  the  son  of  Zeus  and  Europa.19  Carneius, 
the  favorite  of  Apollo,20  and  Dodon21  are  also  said  to  have  been 


1  Schol.  Lye.  1214,  1299. 

2  Eust.  ad.  Dion.  270;  loan.  Ant.  VI,  15. 

3  cf.  Pauly-Wissowa  Cr.  Real  Encyl.  s.  vv.  Asterion,  Asterios. 

4  Hesych.  s.  v.  'AaTepta. 

5  Luc.  Dial.  mar.  15;  Fest.  s.  v.  Europa;  Apollod  III,  I,  1  Mosch.  II;  etc. 
c  II.  XIV,  321.  (?) 

7  Eust.  II.  XIV,  321;  Schol.  II.,  XII,  292. 

8  Schol.  Eur.  Rhes.  28. 

9  loan.  Ant.  VI,  15. 

10  Schol.  Eur.  Rhes.  28. 
"Apollod,  III,  1,  1. 

12  Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  ©daoq. 

13  Hyg.  F.   134. 

14  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  1;  Mosch.  II;  Hyg.  F.  134;  Diod.  V,  78,  1;  etc. 

15 II.  XIV,  321;  Ov.  M.  IX,  435;  Plato  Minos  XII,  p.  318  D;  etc. 

16  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  1;  Schol.  II.  XII,  292;  etc. 

17  Arr.  ap.  Eust.  ad  Dion.  270;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  566. 

18  Schol.  Lye.  431. 

19  Schol.  Plat.  Leg.  I,  624  B. 

20  Schol.  Theocr.  V,  82. 

21  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Awowvy]. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  29 

children  of  Zeus  and  Europa.  The  plane  tree  under  which  Zeus 
had  lain  with  her  and  the  spring  in  which  she  had  bathed  were 
pointed  out  at  Gortyn.1  She  received  from  Zeus  a  magical  dog 
and  spear  to  protect  herself.2  Talos,  the  bronze  man,  was  also 
said  to  have  been  a  gift  from  Zeus  to  Europa.3  In  memory  of 
her  passage  to  Crete  the  Bull  was  added  to  the  constellations.4 
Europa  afterward  became  the  wife  of  Asterion,  who  reared  her 
children.5  Herodotus  has  a  note  that  Europa  went  from  Crete 
to  Lycia.6 

This  myth  was,  of  course,  denied  and  rationalized  in  later 
times;7  the  most  interesting  attempt  of  this  sort  is  perhaps  that 
of  Pauli-Festus  59  s.  v.  Europa:  Agenor  and  the  Phoenicians 
took  possession  of  Crete  "per  simulationem  raptae  filiae." 

Europa  has  been  recognized  as  a  goddess.  Her  origin,  ac- 
cording to  the  almost  unanimous  verdict  of  the  legends,8  is  to 
be  sought  in  Phoenicia.  The  myths  would  thus  lead  us  to 
expect  a  strong  Asiatic  influence  on  Crete  during  the  period  of 
Crete's  greatest  development  under  Minos,  the  son  of  a  Phoenic- 
ian mother.  But  the  excavations  have  shown  that  there  is 
very  little  Eastern  influence  in  early  Cretan  civilization.  Cretan 
culture  spread  to  the  coasts  of  Asia  Minor  at  a  very  early  time; 
Phoenician  influence  began  only  after  Crete  had  become  almost 
barbaric  again.9  Only  if  we  would  accept  the  unsupported 
chronology  of  Diodorus,10  who  puts  the  reign  of  Minos  after  the 
coming  of  the  northern  tribes  into  Crete,  could  we  assume 
Asiatic  influence  on  Crete  during  his  life;  for  this  is  the  time 
when  the  West  begins  to  borrow  largely  from  the  East.  The 
myths  thus  seem  to  preserve  a  record  of  the  events  but  not  of 
their  chronology. 


^heophr.  H.  P.  1,  9,  5;  Plin.  N.  H.  XII,  11;  Andronic.  Carrh.  179. 

2  Anton.  Lib.  41;  (Erat.)  Cat.  33;  etc. 

3Ap.  Rh.  IV,  1643;  Eust.  Od.  XX,  302. 

4  (Erat.)  Cat.  XIV;  Schol.  Arat.  p.  211,  p.  368  Maas;  Hyg.  Astr.  II,  21. 

6  vid.  "Asterion." 
•  Hdt.  IV,  45. 

7  Conon  Narr.  37;  Palaeph.  16;  Eust.  ad  Dion.  270;  Lye.  1296  and  schol; 
Fulg.  Myth.  1,  20;  etc. 

8  For  exceptions  see  Schol.  Eur.  Rhes.  28. 

9  Annual  of  the  British  School,  Athens,  XIII,  p.  421. 
10  Diod.  V,  8o,  142. 


30  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

3.  Minos 

Minos  was  the  ruler  under  whom  Crete  attained  its  greatest 
glory.  Almost  endless  are  the  myths  that  in  some  way  or  other 
concern  him. 

The  vulgate  tradition  makes  him  the  son  of  Zeus  and  Europa;1 
but  certain  difficulties  have  led  some  authors  to  assume  two 
kings  of  this  name,  Minos  II.  being  the  grandson  of  Minos  I. 
and  the  son  of  Lycastus  and  Ide.J  Minos  married  Pasiphae, 
daughter  of  Helios3  and  Perseis  or  Crete.4  By  her  he  had  the 
following  children:  Deucalion,  Catreus,  Androgeus,  Glaucus, 
Ariadne,  Phaedra,  and  Acacallis.8  By  the  nymph  Pareia  he 
was  father  of  Eurymedon,  Nephalion,  Chryses,  and  Philolaus;6 
by  Dexithea  of  Euxantius.7  Other  children  ascribed  to  him 
are  Asterius,8  Pholegandrus,9  Euryale,10  Hyeles,11  Molos,12  Cleo- 
laus,"  Lycastus,14  Elara,15  Italia,16  and  Talos.17 

The  locus  classicus  for  the  rule  of  Minos  in  Crete  is  Od.  XIX, 
178:  evvewpux;  @aa(Xeue  Ai6q  {xsyaXou  '6aptarf]<;,  and  on  this  many  of 
the  ancient  references  are  based.  The  word  sweiopox;  puzzled 
the  commentators:  most  of  them  agree,  however,  in  saying 
that  it  means:  every  ninth  year  Minos  went  to   the  cave  of 


1  vid.  "Europa." 

2  Diod.  IV,  60,  3;  Schol.  Eur.  Rhes.  28;  Naxian  version  ap.  Plut.  Thes  .20; 
so  probably  also  Strab.  X,  4,  8;  Eust.  Od.  XIX,  178;  Crates  ap.  Schol.  Od. 
XI,  322. 

3  q.  v. 

*  Diod.  IV,  60,  3;     Asclepiades  ap.  Apollod.  ill,  1,  2. 
6  Diod.  IV,  60,  3;  Schol.  Lye.  798,  and  811;  Hyg.  F.  136;  Serv.  Aen.  VI, 
14;  Apollod.  Ill,  I,  2;  Paus.  VIII,  53.  4. 

6  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  2;  II,  5,  9. 

7  ibid.  Ill,  1,  2;  Bacchyl.  1,  7. 

8  Nonnus  Dion.  33,  311,  passim. 
9Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Qo'Kiyav'Sgoq. 

10  Hes.  ap.  Hyg.  Astr.  II,  34;  ap.  schol.  Arat.  p.  247  Maas. 

11  Schol.  Nicand.  Ther.  15. 

12  Diod.  V,  79,  4. 
"Solin,  II,  7. 

14  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Auxacroq. 

15  Eust.  Od.  VII,  324- 

16  Serv.  Aen.  1,  533. 

17  Luc.  Philops.  19. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  31 

Zeus  and  there  discoursed  with  him  about  his  laws.1  For 
Minos  was  the  great  lawgiver  of  Crete.2  To  him  were  ascribed 
the  characteristic  laws  and  customs  of  Crete,3  which  now, 
however,  are  generally  considered  Doric  in  character  and 
origin,4  and,  therefore,  probably  came  to  Crete  after  the 
period  of  its  highest  development.  The  ideas  for  some  of  his 
institutions  Minos  obtained  from  Egypt  and  Italy,  says  Aris- 
totle.5 

The  justice  and  other  virtues  of  Minos  are  mentioned  by  a 
number  of  writers.6  They  are  also  reflected  in  the  traditions 
joining  his  name  with  that  of  Zeus,7  and  according  him,  together 
with  Rhadamanthys  and  Aeacus,  the  position  of  judge  among 
the  dead.8  Attic  legend  and  tragedy,  however,  painted  him  in 
very  dark  colors.9 

In  Hades  Minos  peacefully  shares  his  honors  with  his  brother 
Rhadamanthys;  however,  there  seems  to  have  been  some  dif- 
ficulty between  them  while  they  were  on  earth.10  With  his 
other  brother  Sarpedon  he  actually  fought  for  the  control  of 
Crete  and  expelled  him  from  the  island.11  In  the  administra- 
tion of  his  kingdom  we  must  note  the  division  of  it  into  three 
parts  and  the  founding  of  the  cities  Cnossus,  Phaestus,  and 
Cydonia,  one  in  each  of  the  parts.12     This  statement  may  par- 


1  Plato  Leg.  I,  p.  624;  ibid.  Minos  p.  318  D;  Diod.  V,  78,  3;  etc.  For  other 
explanations  cf.  Eust.  and  schol.  Od.  XIX,  178;  Heraclid.  Pont.  3;  Etym. 
M.  s.  v.  'Evvsupoc. 

2cf.  under  C1),  also,  Strab.  X.  4,  8;  Cic.  Tusc.  II,  34;  Tacit.  Ann.  Ill,  26; 
etc. 

3  Plato  Leg.  1,  p.  624  ff;  ibid.  Minos,  p.  318  D;  Stob.  Flor.  45,  41;  Arist. 
Pol.  VII,  10,  p.  1329  b  3;  II,  io,  1271  b  20  Bekker. 

*  cf.  Greenidge,  Gk.  Const.  Hist.,  p.  115. 

5  Arist.  Pol.  VII,  10  p.  1329  b.  3. 

6  Plato  Minos,  p.  318  D;  ibid.  Apol.,  p.  41  A;  Diod.  V,  79,  2;  Strab.  X, 
4,  8;  Eust.  and  Schol.  Od  XI,  321. 

7vid.  "Europa";  Od.  XIX,  178;  XI,  568. 

sibid.  XI,  568  and  schol.;  Plato  Minos,  p.  318  D;  Lye.  1398  and  schol.; 
Schol.  Od.  XIX,  178;  Verg.  Aen.  VI,  432;  etc. 

9  Plato  Minos,  p.  318  D;  ibid.  Apol.,  41  A;  Diod.  V,  79,  2;  Strab.  X,  4,  8. 
10  Diod.  V,  84,  1. 

"Hdt.  1,  173;  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  2;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1,  185;  Strab.  XIV,  1,  6. 
12  Diod.  V,  78,  2;  Strab.  X,  4,  8. 


32  Crete  in  the  Greek  Traditions 

tially  rest  on  fact,  though  Cnossus  certainly  is  older  than  the 
traditional  date  of  Minos. 

But  Minos  is  best  known  for  his  sea-power  and  his  extension 
of  Cretan  influence  over  the  islands.  "Minos  was  the  first,  as 
far  as  we  know,  who  had  a  fleet,  and  controlled  the  greater  part 
of  what  is  now  the  Greek  sea,  and  ruled  the  Cyclades,  and  made 
the  first  settlements  on  them,  driving  out  the  Carians,  and  ap- 
pointing his  sons  rulers  over  the  islands.  Piracy,  as  might  be 
expected,  he  abolished  as  far  as  possible  in  order  that  he  might 
get  more  tribute,"  says  Thucydides  in  a  well-known  passage.1 
These  statements  are  repeated  by  many  authors.2 

But  most  of  the  reports  about  Minos  are  more  fanciful  than 
this.     A  summary  of  them  follows: 

A.  The  Cretan  Bull 

Minos  asked  Poseidon  to  send  a  bull  from  the  sea  to  prove  his 
title  to  the  kingdom,  promising  to  sacrifice  the  animal  to  its 
sender.  When  the  bull  arrived, Minos  refused  to  keep  his  vow 
and  put  him  among  his  herds.  By  the  power  of  Poseidon  the 
bull  then  became  mad  and  devastated  the  Cretan  land.  Hera- 
cles captured  the  animal,  brought  him  to  the  Peloponnesus,  and 
there  released  him.  After  laying  waste  the  Spartan  and  Ar- 
cadian territory  the  bull  crossed  the  Isthmus  and  went  to  Mara- 
thon, where  he  was  finally  killed  by  Theseus.3 

The  bull  occurs  very  frequently  in  all  of  the  Cretan  myths;  he 
is  also  often  found  represented  in  the  archaeological  remains. 
There  may  have  been  a  bull-shaped  Cretan  divinity.  It  has 
been  suggested  that  Minos  was  this  god.4 

B.  Glaucus 

Glaucus,  the  son  of  Minos,  fell  into  a  jar  of  honey  and  was 
stifled.     Unable  to  find  him,  his  father  consulted  the  oracle  of 


1  Thuc.  i,  4. 

2Diod,  IV,  6o,  3;  V,  78,  3;  V,  84,  1;  Plato  Leg.  IV,  2,  p.  706  B;  Hdt.  1,  171; 
III,  122;  Strab.  1,  3,  2;  X,  4,  17;  XIV,  2,  27;  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  3;  Paus.  1,  27,  9; 
Plin.  N.  H.  VII,  209;  Ap.  Rh.  II,  516  and  schol.;  Scymnus  Chius  535  ff. 

3  Apollod.  II,  5,  7;  III,  1,  3;  Diod.  IV,  13,  4;  Zenob.  IV,  6;  Joan.  Pediasim. 
VII;  Tzetz.  Chil.  1,  473;  Paus.  1,  27,  9;  V,  10,  9;  Serv.  Aen.  VIII,  294;  Hyg. 
F,  30,  and  38;  Ov.  M.  VII,  434;  Cic.  Tusc.  IV,  50;  Call.  Hecale  9  in  Class. 
Rev.  1893,  p.  429;  etc. 

4  Bethe  in  Rhein.  Mus.  LXV,  p.  200. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  33 

the  Curetes  and  received  the  answer  that  an  animal  had  been 
born  among  his  herds,  which  changed  color  three  times  every- 
day, going  from  white  to  red  to  black  The  person  who  would 
compare  this  most  fittingly  to  some  other  phenomenon  would 
be  able  to  discover  Glaucus.  The  seer  Polyidus  of  Argos  likened 
the  change  of  color  in  the  animal  to  a  similar  change  in  a  black- 
berry or  a  mulberry.  Minos  then  demanded  of  him  the  where- 
abouts of  his  son.  Polyidus  taking  as  an  omen  an  owl  (y^au^) 
which  he  happened  to  see  pursuing  bees  over  a  storeroom,  suc- 
ceeded in  finding  the  body.  Then  the  king  asked  him  to  restore 
Glaucus  to  life  and,  when  Polyidus  declared  this  beyond  his 
power,  he  inclosed  the  seer  in  a  sepulcher  with  the  body  of 
Glaucus.  After  a  while  a  serpent  crawled  into  the  tomb  and 
was  killed  by  Polyidus;  another  soon  followed  but,  noticing  its 
dead  companion,  quickly  crawled  away.  It  returned,  how- 
ever, with  a  herb  with  which  it  revived  its  mate.  With  the 
same  herb  Polyidus  restored  Glaucus  to  life  and  the  two  were 
rescued  from  the  tomb.  Later  Minos  forced  Polyidus  to  teach 
his  son  the  art  of  divination.  He  complied,  but  when  finally 
leaving  Crete  he  told  Glaucus  to  spit  into  his  mouth.  Glaucus 
did  this  and  immediately  forgot  all  he  had  learned  of  him.1 

The  Cretan  Glaucus  is  perhaps  to  be  identified  with  Glaucus 
of  Anthedon,  the  marine  god  of  divination.  The  name,  the 
magical  herb  which  restores  the  dead  to  life,  and  the  power  of 
divination  occur  in  connection  with  both.  Glaucus  may  be  of 
Cretan  origin. 

C.  Britomartis 

Britomartis,  daughter  of  Zeus  and  Carme,2  or  Cassiepeia,3  or 
Hecate,4  was  a  nymph  of  Gortyn,5  born  at  Caenoe6  or  come 
from  Phoenicia  to  Argos,  thence  to  Cephallenia,  finally  to  Crete.7 


1  Apollod.  Ill,  3,  i;  Schol.  Lye.  8n;  Palaeph.  27;  Apostol.  V,  48;  Hyg.  F. 
136;  161;  Eur.  frag.  635-648  Nauck;  Aesch.  frag.,  m-115  Nauck;  Ar.  frag. 
389-396  Dind. 

2  Diod.  V,  76,  3;  Anton.  Lib.  40;  Paus.  II,  30,  3;  Verg.  Cir.  220. 

3  Anton.  Lib.  40. 

4Favorin.  and  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  BpiT6(MCpTtq. 
6  Call.  Dian,  89. 

6  Diod.  V,  76,  3. 

7  Paus.  II,  30,  3. 


34  Crete  in  the  Greek  Traditions 

Hecate,  according  to  the  story,  had  received  an  oracle  saying 
that  the  son  born  of  her  would  overthrow  his  father.  So  when 
she  gave  birth  to  a  daughter  the  attendant  nymphs  were  very 
much  pleased  and  cried  out:  £pix6v,  i.  e.  good;  and  called  the 
child  Britomartis.1  This  name  agrees  well  with  the  gloss  of 
Hesychius:  pptTu,  y^uxu,  KpfjTs;  and  the  translation  of  her 
name  by  Solinus  :2  virgo  dulcis.3  Ausonius4  presupposes  a  similar 
meaning. 

Britomartis  was  considered  a  companion  of  Artemis5  or  identi- 
fied with  Artemis  herself,8  sometimes  also  with  Hecate.7  Minos 
loved  her,  and  when  she  fled  from  him  he  pursued8  and  finally 
forced  her  to  cast  herself  into  the  sea.  She  was  saved  by  falling 
into  fishing  nets,  from  which  she  received  the  name  Dictynna.9 

Later  she  went  to  Aegina  with  Andromedes,  who  attempted 
violence  when  they  arrived.  She  escaped  into  a  grove  and 
became  invisible,  dqarrjq,  and  was  therefore  called  Aphaea. 
This  happened  in  the  sanctuary  of  Artemis.  She  was  apotheo- 
sized by  Artemis.10 

Britomartis  was  worshiped  in  Crete.11  She  had  sanctuaries 
north  of  Pergamia,  near  Phalasarna  and  Cydonia,"  in  Olus,13  and 
in  Cheronesus.14  She  was  also  honored  at  Aegina,15  in  Sparta,16 
and  on  Cephallenia.17     The  pine  and  the  mastich  were  sacred  to 


^avorin.  and  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  BptTO^apTtq;  Bekker  Anecd.,  p.  567. 

2  Solin.  XI,  8. 

3  For  another  etymology  cf.  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  Bptx6[JLapTt<;. 
4Auson.  Epigr.  107-112. 

6Diod.  V,  76,  3;  Paus.  II,  30,  3;  Schol.  Ar.  Ran,  1356;  Call.  Dian,  106. 

6  Diod.  V,  76,  3;  Schol.,  Eur.  Hipp.  145;  Plut.  soil.  an.  36,  §984. 

7  Schol.  Eur.  Hipp.  145. 

8  Call.  Dian,  90;  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  171;  Nonnus  Dion.  XXXIII,  333;  Diod.. 
V,  76,  4- 

9  cf.  also:    Paus.  II,  30,  3;  Anton,  Lib.  40.     Other  etymologies:  Diod.  V, 
76,  3;  Strab.  X,  4,  12;  Fest.  s.  v.  Dictynna;  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  171. 

"Anton.  Lib.  40;  Paus.  II,  30,  3;  Paus,  VIII,  2,  4. 
11  Diod,  V,  76,  3. 

"Scylax  48;  Dionys.  Anagr.  no:  Strab.  X,  4,  12,  13;  Hdt.  Ill,  59- 
13  Paus.  IX,  40,  3. 
"Strab.  X,  4,  14. 
15  Paus.  II,  30,  3;  Anton,  Lib.  40. 

"Paus.  Ill,  12,  8;  III,  14,  2;  Polyaen.  II,  I,  14;  Hesych.  and  Steph.  Byz. 
s.  v.  'Iaawpla;  Liv.  34,  38. 
17  Anton.  Lib.  40. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  35 

her,  the  myrtle  was  taboo.1  One  of  her  sanctuaries  was  pro- 
tected by  very  savage  dogs;2  on  entering  another,  visitors  were 
obliged  to  bare  their  feet.3 

Britomartis  seems  to  have  been  a  Cretan  goddess;  the  name 
Dictynna,  goddess  of  nets,  may  imply  that  she  was  concerned 
with  hunting  and  fishing.  She  may,  therefore,  have  been  a  de- 
velopment of  the  TioTVia  Gigptov. 

D.  Talos 

Talos,  of  the  race  of  bronze,4  "last  of  the  race  of  men  sprung 
from  ash-trees,"5  or  a  brother  of  Minos  and  Rhadamanthys,6 
or  a  son  of  Minos,7  or  of  Oenopion  of  Chios,8  or  son  of  Cres  and 
father  of  Hephaestus,9  or  made  by  Hephaestus,10  given  by  Zeus 
to  Europa,11  or  by  Hephaestus  to  Minos,12  also  called  Taurus,13 
was  entirely  of  bronze  with  the  exception  of  a  single  vein  running 
from  his  neck  to  his  foot,14  or  only  along  his  heel.15  This  vein 
was  closed  by  a  thin  membrane,16  or  a  bronze  nail.17  His  life 
depended  on  the  blood  remaining  in  this  vein.18 

Talos  was  the  guardian  of  Crete,  who  made  the  round  of  the 
island  thrice  daily.19     Plato,20  rationalizing,  makes  him  a  judge 


1  Call.  Dian.  ioo. 

2  Philostr.  Ap.  T.  VIII,  31. 
3Solin.  XI,  8. 

4  Luc.  Philops.  19;  Zenob.  V,  85;  Apollod.  1,  9,  26,  3. 
6  Soph.  ap.  Schol.  Apoll.  Rh.  IV,  1638. 

6  Schol.  Plato  Leg.  1,  p.  624  B.     He  is  also  said  to  have  been  a  favorite  of 
Rhadamanthys:    Ibycus  ap.  Ath.  XIII,  p.  603  D. 

7  Luc.  Philops.  19. 

8  Ion  Chius  ap.  Paus.  VII,  4,  8. 

9  Paus.  VIII,  53,  4. 

"Simonides  ap.  Suid.  s.  v.  SapBavtoq  yekuq. 

11  Ap.  Rh.  IV,  1643;  Eust.  Od.  XX,  302. 

12  Apollod.  1,  9,  26,  3;  Zenob.  V,  85. 

13  Apollod.   1,  9,  26,  3. 

14  Zenob.  V,  85. 

"Schol.  Apoll.  Rh.  IV,  1638;  Phot.  Bibl.,  p.  443  b.  22  Bekker. 

16  Zenob.  V,  85;  Apollod.  1,  9,  23. 

17  cf#    14     15     16_ 

18  Luc.  Philops.  19;  Catull.  58  b  1;  Soph.  frag.  164  Nauck;  Luc.  salt    49; 
Schol.  Plato  Leg.  1,  p.  624  B. 

19  Photius  Bibl.,  p.  443  b  22  Bekker;  Zenob.  V,  85;  Apollod.  1,  9,  26,  3. 

20  Plato  Minos  15,  p.  320  B. 


36  Crete  in  the  Greek  Traditions 

whose  circuit  took  him  over  the  whole  of  the  island  three  times 
a  year;  it  was  his  duty  to  see  to  it  that  the  laws  engraved  on 
bronze  tablets  were  kept. 

It  is  said  that  originally  he  lived  in  Sardinia,  where  he  killed 
many  of  the  natives.1  He  seems  to  have  kept  his  dislike  of  this 
people  even  in  Crete,  for  when  some  of  them  landed  there,  and 
refused  to  go  to  Minos,  he  took  them  and  pressed  them  to  his 
breast,  then  leaped  into  a  fire.2  The  fire  naturally  would  not 
harm  the  bronze  Talos,  while  the  victims  would  be  killed  by  it. 
During  this  procedure  he  would  laugh  "sardonically,"  i.e.,  in  a 
Sardinian  way,  or  the  features  of  the  men  he  held  would  be  dis- 
torted in  their  death  agony  so  as  to  show  a  "sardonic"  grin. 

Talos  tried  to  prevent  the  Argonauts  from  landing  in  Crete, 
but  Medea  killed  him  by  opening  in  some  way  or  other  the  vein 
in  his  foot.3  According  to  another  version  Poeas  shot  into  his 
heel  and  tapped  the  vital  artery.4 

It  is  tempting  to  think  that  the  Talos  myths  are  the  last 
memories  lingering  among  the  Greeks  of  the  worship  of  Baal- 
Moloch.  The  stories  agree  rather  well  with  the  accounts  of 
sacrifices  to  this  divinity:  the  victims  were  killed  by  the  heated 
metal  statue  of  the  god.5  If  we  may  identify  Talos  and  the 
Phoenician  god,  this  myth  is  not  properly  to  be  connected  with 
Crete  at  the  time  under  discussion.  The  connection  with  Sar- 
dinia seems  to  have  been  made  with  the  object  of  explaining  the 
Sapodvtoq  ysX(o<;. 

E.  Procris 

Procris,  daughter  of  Erechtheus6  or  of  Pandion,7  wife  of 
Cephalus,8  was  discovered  in  wrong  doing  by  her  husband9  and 
escaped  to  Crete.10     Minos  happened  to  be  ill,11  bewitched  by 

1  Simon,  ap.  Zenob.  V,  85. 

2  Soph.  frag.  164  Nauck;  Zenob.  V,  85;  Eust.  Od.  XX,  302;  Phot.  Lex. 
$.  v.  Sapcavtoq  yiXuxz. 

3  Zenob.  V,  85;  Apollod.  1,  9,  26,  3;  Ap.  Rh.  IV,  1636;  (Orpheus)  Argon. 
1350. 

*  Zenob.  V,  85. 

6  Diod.  XX,  14. 
"Apollod.  HI,  15,  1. 

7  Apostol.  XIV,  16. 

8  Apollod.  1.  c. 

9  Anton,  Lib.  41. 

10  Apollod.  1.  c. 

11  Apostol.  1.  a;  Palaeph.  2. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  37 

jealous  Pasiphae.1  Procris  cured  him2  and  in  recognition  of  her 
aid  was  presented  with  a  dog  from  which  no  animal  could  escape 
and  a  spear  which  never  missed  its  mark.  These  Zeus  had 
given  to  Europa  when  he  brought  her  to  Crete.3  According  to 
another  story  Artemis  gave  Procris  these  gifts.4  By  them  she 
effected  a  reconciliation  with  Cephalus,5  but  shortly  after  he 
accidentally  killed  her.6  The  dog  gifted  with  this  magical 
quality  chanced  to  take  up  the  trail  of  the  Teumessian  fox, 
which  had  the  equally  wonderful  characteristic  that  it  could 
never  be  captured;  so  to  end  the  dilemma  the  gods  turned  both 
to  stone.7  They  are  to  be  seen  near  Thebes.  The  dog  had  a 
constellation  named  after  him.8 

Whatever  else  may  be  hidden  in  the  Procris  myth,  it  is  of 
value  as  furnishing  one  legendary  link  more  between  Crete  and 
Athens  and  Boetia. 

F.  Ganymede 

Ganymede,  son  of  Tros,  king  of  Troy,  was  carried  off  by  Minos.9 
He  killed  himself  in  Crete  and  was  buried  in  a  temple  of  Zeus.10 
Another  story  has  it  that  after  Ganymede's  suicide  in  the  Troad 
Minos  told  Tros  that  the  wind  and  waves  had  carried  him  off.11 
The  Chalcidians  claimed  the  rape  of  Ganymede  by  Minos  hap- 
pened in  Euboea  and  they  showed  the  very  place  where  it  oc- 
curred.12 Plato  thinks  the  Zeus-Ganymede  myth  an  infamous 
invention  of  the  Cretans.13 

This  legend  is  not  very  valuable  except  insofar  as  it  shows 
that  the  ancient  connection  between  Crete  and  Troy  and  Euboea 
was  still  remembered. 


1  Apollod.  1.  c;  Anton,  Lib.  1.  c. 

2  Schol.,  Arat.,  p.  251  Maas. 

3  Poll.  V,  38,  39;  Anton.  Lib.  41;  Hyg.  Astr.  II,  35;  (Erat.)  Cat.  33. 

4  Hyg.  F.  189. 

6  cf.  3,  also  (Erat.)  Cat.  33. 

6  Apollod.  Ill,  15,  1. 

7  cf.  3. 

8  (Erat.)  Cat.  33;  Schol.  Arat.,  p.  251  Maas;  Serv.  Geor.  I,  218;  Hyg.  Astr. 
II,  35- 

9  Echemenes  ap.  Ath.  XIII,  p.  601  E. 
10Suid.  5.  v.  M(vg)<;. 

11  Dosiades  ap.  Schol.  II.  XX,  234. 

12  cf.  \ 

13  Plato  Leg.  I.  p.  636  C. 


38  Crete    n  the  Greek  Tradition 

G.  Pasiphae 

Pasiphae,  the  daughter  of  the  Sun,1  was,  like  the  other  chil- 
dren of  Helios,  under  the  displeasure  of  Aphrodite,  because  their 
father  had  discovered  her  affair  with  Ares.2  Another  tale  is 
told  to  account  for  the  disfavor  of  that  goddess,  namely,  that 
Pasiphae  had  not  sacrificed  to  Aphrodite  for  several  years.3 
Aphrodite  then  caused  her  to  conceive  a  strong  fancy  for  the 
bull  which  Poseidon  had  sent  to  Minos.4  According  to  another 
version  Pasiphae's  passion  was  the  punishment  inflicted  on 
Minos  for  not  having  sacrificed  the  animal  as  he  had  promised.5 
Pasiphae  was  aided  by  Daedalus,  the  Athenian  artist,  then 
living  in  Crete.6  Her  son  was  the  Minotaur,  half  man,  half 
bull,  whom  Minos  inclosed  in  the  labyrinth.7 

This  story  was  soon  rationalized,  the  bull  became  a  man 
Taurus,  whom  Pasiphae  favored,  etc.8 

A  Pasiphae  had  a  temple  near  Sparta;9  here  she  was  variously 
identified  with  Daphnis,10  or  Selene,11  or  an  Atlantid,  or  with 
Cassandra,  the  daughter  of  Priam.12  Pasiphae  was  also  a  name 
of  Aphrodite.13 

The  name  of  Pasiphae  and  her  descent  from  Helios  seem  to 
suggest  that  she  was  originally  an  astral  divinity.  The  Mino- 
taur may  be  another  form  of  the  Cretan  bull  divinity. 


1  Hyg.  F.  40;  Schol.  Lye.  431;  Apollod.  i,  9,  16;  Ap.  Rh.  Ill,  995. 
2Sosicrates  ap.  Schol,  Eur.  Hipp.  47;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14;  Schol.  Luc.  Amor. 
2;  Sen.  Phaedr.  124. 

3  Hyg.  F.  40. 

4  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  4;  Ov.  M.  VIII,  36;  Verg.  Aen.  VI,  20,  445;  Serv.  Aen, 
VI,  14;  Schol.  Eur.  Hipp.  47;  Apostol.  XIV,  16;  Palaeph.  2. 

6  Zenob.  IV,  6. 

6  Schol.  II.  II,  145;  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  4;  III,  15,  8;  Ov.  M.  VIII,  136;  Serv. 
Aen.  VI,  14;  Diod.  IV,  74,  4;  IV,  77,  5;  Hyg.  F.  40. 
'Apollod.  Ill,  1,  4;  Plut.  Thes.  15;  etc. 

8  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14;  Heraclit.  incred.  6;  Plut.  Thes.  19;  Palaeph  2;  Luc. 
Astrol.  16;  Apostol.  XIV,  16. 

9  Cic.  div.  1,  96;  Plut.  Cleom.  7;  ibid.  Agis  9. 
10  Plut.  Agis  9;  Philochorus  frag.  40  M. 
"Paus.  Ill,  26,  1. 

12  Plut.  Agis  9. 

13  Laur.  Lyd.  mens  44. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  39 

H.  Androgeus 

Androgeus,  a  son  of  Minos,  went  to  Athens  and  was  there 
murdered,1  either  out  of  envy  because  of  his  victory  in  the 
Panathenaic  games,2  or  because  Aegeus  feared  that  the  inti- 
macy of  the  sons  of  Pallas,  his  political  rivals,  with  the  Cretan 
prince  would  give  them  too  much  influence.3  Other  versions 
are  that  Androgeus  fell  in  battle  near  Athens,4  or  that  he  was 
murdered  by  jealous  athletic  rivals  in  Thebes,5  or  that  he  was 
killed  on  an  expedition  against  the  Marathonian  bull.6 

There  was  an  altar  of  Androgeus  in  Phalerum,  where  he  was 
honored  in  some  connection  with  the  stern  of  ships.7  He  was 
identified  with  Eurygyes,  in  whose  honor  funeral  games  were 
held  in  Athens.8  Sons  of  Androgeus  appear  in  Paros  and  Tha- 
sos.9 

Androgeus,  the  "earth-man,"  may  have  been  a  divinity  of 
the  ground.  He  seems  to  be  found  only  in  Athens.  The  fact 
that  he  is  called  the  son  of  Minos  may  indicate  his  ultimate 
Cretan  origin.  This  legend  also  shows  a  recollection  of  the 
cose  relation  which  existed  between  Athens  and  Crete.  Inter- 
esting is  the  statement  that  Crete  might  be  the  deciding  factor 
in  a  revolution  in  Athens. 

I.  Nisus 

With  the  united  force  of  Crete  and  the  islands10  Minos  set  out 
against  Athens  to  avenge  the  death  of  Androgeus.11  He  directed 
his  first  attack  against  the  Athenian  dependency  of  Megara, 
which  was  ruled  by  Nisus,  son  of  Pandion,12  or  of  Ares.13    Another 

iPlut.  Thes.  15;  Eust.  Od.  XI,  321;  Schol.  II.  XVIII,  590;  Phot.  Bibl., 
p.  534  Bekker;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14;  Zenob.  IV,  6. 

2  Eust.  Od.  XI,  320;  Schol.  Plato  Minos  15,  p.  321  A;  Apollod.  Ill,  15,  7; 
Diod.  IV,  60,  4. 

3  Diod.  IV,  60,  4. 
*  Hyg.  F.  41. 

6  Schol.  Plat.  Minos  15,  p.  321A;  Apollod,  III,  15,  7. 

6  ibid;  Serv.  Aen,  VI,  20;  Paus.  1,  27,  9. 

7Paus.  1,  1,  4;  Schol.  Clem,  Al.  Protr.  II,  p.  12  Sylb. 

8  Hesych.  s.  v.  £%'  Eupyuifl  aywv. 

9  Apollod.  II,  5,  9,  13. 
10  Ov.  M.  VII,  456. 

"Serv.  Eel.  VI,  74;  Ov.  M.  VII,  456;  Catull.  64,  77. 

12  Apollod.  Ill,  15,  5;  Soph.  frag.  19,  Nauck;  Hyg.  F.  149. 

"Hyg.  F.  149,  242. 


40  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

motive  for  this  expedition  is  given,  namely,  that  Minos  was 
pursuing  the  fugitive  Polyidus.1  The  Cretans  anchored  off  the 
island  of  Minoa  near  Megara2  and  besieged  Nisus  in  Nisaea 
and  Megara.3 

Now  Nisus  had  a  purple  lock  of  hair,  with  which  his  life,  or 
at  least  the  safety  of  the  city,  was  intimately  connected.4  This 
lock  was  cut  by  his  daughter  Scylla,  who  had  fallen  in  love  with 
Minos.5  Minos  took  the  city  but  scorned  Scylla.  He  put  her 
to  death,6  or  she  cast  herself  into  the  sea  when  she  noticed  that 
her  father  was  pursuing.7  Nisus  was  buried  in  Athens,8  Scylla's 
tomb  was  shown  at  the  Scyllaean  rocks,9  or  as  others  say  it  was 
not  shown  at  any  place  because  her  body  was  devoured  by  birds 
of  prey.10  The  most  common  tale  is  that  she  was  changed  into 
the  ciris,  a  bird,11  or  a  fish,12  or  into  the  well-known  monster 
Scylla.13  Her  father  was  metamorphosed  into  the  sea  eagle,  who 
always  pursues  the  ciris.14 

The  story  of  Nisus  and  Scylla  was  not  accepted  in  Megara.15 
Whatever  may  be  the  earliest  home  of  the  purple  lock  epi- 
sode, the  Nisus  myth  is  rather  important  as  a  record  of  a  Cretan 
expedition  against  one  of  the  cities  of  Greece.     There  seems  to 
be  no  reason  why  we  should  not  believe  such  a  one  to  have  oc- 


xVerg.  Cir.  no. 

2  Paus.  i,  44,  3. 

3  Paus.  1,  19,  4;  II,  34,  7;  Luc.  salt.  41;  Ov.  M.  VIII,  1;  Verg.  Cir.  100; 
Serv.  Eel.  VI,  74- 

4  Paus.  1,  19,  4;  Luc.  sacrif.  15  and  schol. ;  ibid.  salt.  41;  Ov.  M.,  VIII,  41; 
Verg.  Cir.  122,  387;  Tib.  I,  4,  63;  Stat.  Th.  1,  3,  33;  Schol.  Ly.  650;  Hyg.  F. 
149;  Aesch.  Choeph.  611;  Ov.  lb.  362  and  schol. 

6  Aesch.  Choeph.  611;  Schol.  Lye.  650;  Ov.  M.  VIII,  85;  ibid.  A.  A.  1,  331; 
Hyg.  F.  149;  Prop.  IV,  19  (18)  21;  Serv.  Eel.  VI,  74;  Apollod.  Ill,  15.  7. 

6  Schol.  Aesch.  Choeph.  611;  Paus.  II,  34,  7;  Strab.  VIII,  6,  13;  Schol. 
Lye.  650;  Verg.  Cir.  389;  etc. 

7  Etym.  M.  5.  v.  Kippt?;  Hyg.  F.  149. 

8  Apollod.  Ill,  15,  7;  Schol.  Plat.  Minos  15,  p.  321  A. 
9Strabo  VIII,  6,  13. 

10  Paus.  II,  34,  7. 

11  Paraphr.  Dionys.  de  av.  14;  Verg.  Cir.  48,  90,  482;  Verg.  Geor.  1,404; 
Serv.  ad  I. 

12  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  286;  Hyg.  F.  149. 

"Schol,  Lye.  650;  Ov.  A.  A.  i,  331;  ibid.  M.  XIV,  52;  Verg.  Cir.  56;  Prop. 
V,  4,  39;  Cic.  Verr.  V,  146;  Verg.  Eel.  VI,  74. 
14  cf.  11,  12,  13. 
"Paus.  1,  39,  6;  I,  41,  5. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  41 

curred ;  in  other  words  a  historic  foundation  for  the  myth  seems 
probable.  The  same  holds  true  of  the  Cretan  campaign  against 
Athens. 

J.  Theseus 

After  taking  Megara  Minos  proceeded  on  his  way  to  Athens 
and  being  unable  to  capture  the  city  he  devastated  the  Athenian 
territory.1  In  answer  to  his  prayer  Apollo  sent  \iy.bq  xal  Xoifxoc; 
on  Greece.2  The  memory  of  this  plague  was  preserved  at 
Athens  by  the  rite  of  the  scapegoats.3  The  prayer  of  Aeacus 
obtained  relief  for  the  rest  of  Greece,  but  not  for  Athens.4 
The  sacrifice  of  the  daughters  of  Hyacinthus  on  the  tomb  of 
Geraestus,  son  of  Cecrops,  was  also  without  avail.5  Finally 
an  oracle  of  Apollo  commanded  the  Athenians  to  make  peace 
with  Minos  at  any  price.6 

Minos  demanded  a  tribute  of  seven  Athenian  youths  and  as 
many  maidens7  to  be  paid  annually8  or  every  ninth  year.9  Ac- 
cording to  a  late  tradition  the  aid  Daedalus  gave  to  Pasiphae 
was  the  cause  of  the  expedition  of  Minos  against  Athens.10  The 
youths  and  maidens  were  to  be  food  for  the  Minotaur.11  Ex- 
planations making  their  fate  less  fantastically  cruel  were  given 
very  early:  the  youths  and  maidens  died  of  privation  in  the 
labyrinth;12  they  were  prizes  at  Cretan  games,13  perhaps  the 
funeral  games  in  honor  of  Androgeus,  where  a  man  named 
Taurus  carried  off  most  of  the  honors  and  awards  ;14  they  were 
sacrificed  at  the  tomb  of  Androgeus;15  or  they  became  slaves, 


1  Schol.  Plat.  Minos  15,  p.  321  A;  Plut.  Thes.  15;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14. 
2 ibid;  Apollod.  Ill,  15,  8;  Diod.  IV,  61,  1;  Catull.  64,  76. 
3  Phot.  Bibl.,  p.  534  Bekker. 
*  Diod.  IV,  61,  1. 
6  Apollod.  Ill,  15,  8. 

6  Schol.  Plat.  Minos  15,  p.  321  A;  Plut.  Thes.,  15;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14;  Apol- 
lod. Ill,  15,  8;  Isocr.  Enc.  Hel.,  25;  Euseb.  Praep.  Ev.  V.  19. 

7  Plut.  Thes.  15;  Serv.  Aen,  VI,  14;  Apollod.  Ill,  15,  8;  etc. 

8  Schol.  Plat.  Minos  15,  p.  321  A. 

9  Plut.  Thes.  15;  Diod.  IV,  61,  1. 
10Zenob.  IV,  6;  Suid.  s.  v.  ev  tcgcvt!  [xu6w. 

11  cf .  8. 

12  Plut.  Thes.  15;  Tzetz.  Chil.  II,  555. 

13  Plut.  Thes.  19. 

"  Philochorus  ap.  Plut.  Thes.  16. 
15  Plut.  comp.  Thes.  et  Rom.  2. 


42  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

descendants  of  whom  were  to  be  found  in  Crete  a  long  time 
after.1 

At  the  third  payment  of  this  tribute  Theseus,  the  son  of 
Aegeus2  or  of  Poseidon3  volunteered4  to  go  to  Crete,  or  was 
chosen  by  lot,5  or  selected  by  Minos  to  be  among  the  victims.6 

Minos  promised  the  Athenians  to  put  an  end  to  the  tribute 
if  the  youths  could  kill  the  Minotaur  without  arms,7  or,  accord- 
ing to  the  rationalized  story,  if  Theseus  could  carry  off  the 
athletic  victory  over  Taurus,  whose  arrogance  had  become 
unendurable  to  the  Cretans.8 

Ariadne,  the  daughter  of  Minos  and  Pasiphae,9  loved  The- 
seus10 and  gave  him  a  ball  of  thread,  by  means  of  which  he  would 
be  able  to  find  his  way  out  of  the  labyrinth.11  This  idea  was 
suggested  to  Ariadne  by  Daedalus.12  Theseus  entered  the 
labyrinth,  killed  the  monster,  and  returned  to  the  entrance  of 
the  maze  by  following  the  thread  13 

A  number  of  attempts  to  explain  this  story  have  been  pre- 
served by  Plutarch:14  Theseus  broke  the  keels  of  the  Cretan 
boats,  and  escaped  with  the  intended  victims  of  the  Minotaur; 
he  killed  Taurus,  the  admiral  of  Minos,  in  a  naval  battle  off 
Cnossus;  he  worsted  Taurus  in  the  athletic  games;  he  made  a 
rapid  descent  on  Crete,  killed  Deucalion,  the  successor  of  Minos, 
and  concluded  a  more  favorable  treaty  with  the  new  ruler, 
Ariadne.  Another  story  is  that  Theseus  obtained  control  of 
Crete  by  marrying  Ariadne,  but  on  hearing  of  his  father's  death 
he  returned  to  Athens.15 


1  Arist.  frag.  443  Bekker. 

2Suid.  5.  v.  Afyalov  ^eXayo?;  Schol.  Od.  XI,  320;  Plut.  Thes.  12. 
3  ibid.;  Bacchyl.  XIV,  60;  Plat.  Rep.  Ill,  5,  p.  391  C;  Hyg.  F.  47. 
4Hyg.  F.  41;  Plut.  Thes.  17;  Catull.  64,  81;  etc. 

6  Schol.  Od.  XI,  320. 
"Hellanicus  ap.  Plut.  Thes.  17. 

7  Plut.  Thes.  17. 

8  Philochorus  ap.  Plut.  Thes.  19. 

9  Apoll.  Rh.  Ill,  995;  Ov.,  Her.  X,  91;  Hyg.  F.  224;  Hes.  Th.  947. 

10  Hyg.  F.  42;  Catull.  64,  85;  Serv.  Geor.  1,  222. 

11  Plut.  Thes.  19;  Eust.  II.  XVIII,  592;  Schol.  Od  XI,  320. 
^Verg.  Aen,  VI,  20:   Eust.  II.  XVIII,  592;  Schol.  Od.  XI,  320. 

13  Hyg.  F.  42;  Schol.  Plat.  Minos  15,  p.  321  A;  Eur.  Heracl.  1326. 

14  Plut.  Thes.  19. 

15  Suid.  s.  v.  AJyalov  irsXayoq. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  43 

The  Minotaur  myth  may  perhaps  be  explained  most  satis- 
factorily as  a  remnant  of  a  religious  rite,  probably  an  actual 
human  sacrifice  performed  to  a  bull-shaped  Cretan  divinity. 
Athens  appears  to  have  been  tributary  to  Crete  and  so  may  have 
furnished  the  victims  for  such  a  sacrifice.  Evans  suggests1  that 
the  youths  and  maidens  were  sent  to  Cnossus  to  appear  in  the 
arena  at  a  bull  fight. 

The  raid  of  Theseus  on  Crete  is  probably  only  an  attempt 
to  make  this  myth  seem  more  reasonable.  Still  it  may  be 
worth  while  to  note  that  Cnossus  seems  to  have  been  destroyed 
in  just  such  a  way,  i.  e.,  by  the  sudden  attack  of  an  enemy.2 

The  story  of  the  desertion  of  Ariadne  has  already  been  dis- 
cussed under  the  heading  of  Dionysus.  Plutarch3  gives  a  num- 
ber of  variants  of  the  tale  (concerning  Theseus  rather  than  Crete) 
which  we  may  neglect  here. 

Before  going  to  Crete  Theseus  had  promised  to  use  a  white 
sail  on  his  return  if  the  expedition  were  successful.  He  forgot 
to  do  this,  and  Aegeus  thinking  him  dead  cast  himself  into  the 
sea.4  A  rationalistic  version,  according  to  which  a  merchant 
brought  Aegeus  a  false  report,  which  caused  him  to  commit 
suicide,  is  given  by  Suidas.5 

A  number  of  religious  rites  and  institutions  go  back  to  the 
journey  of  Theseus  to  Crete,  or  are  in  some  way  related  to  it. 
On  his  escape  from  the  labyrinth  he  and  the  youths  and  maidens 
performed  a  dance  taught  by  Daedalus,  which  Eustathius,6 
probably  wrongly,  identifies  with  the  x^P0?  of  Ariadne 
mentioned  by  Homer  in  connection  with  the  shield  of  Achilles. 
The  common  tradition  puts  this  dance  at  Delos.  It  was  called 
Ylpavot;  (crane)  by  the  Delians7  and  was  supposed  to  imitate 
the  windings  of  the  labyrinth.8     It  was  performed  around  the 


1  Annual  of  the  British  School.  Atliens  VII,  1900,  p.  96. 
a  cf .  A.  J.  Evans,  Essai  de  Classif.  des  Epoques  de  la  civ.  Min.,  p.  8,  p.  10. 
3  Plut.  Thes.  20. 

4Hyg.  F.  41,  and  43;  Paus.  1,  22,  5;  Catull.,  64,  202;  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  74; 
etc. 

5  Suid.  5.  v.  Atyatov  icsXayoq. 

•Eust.  II.  XVIII,  590. 

•  Plut.  Thes.  21. 

*ibid.\  Schol.,  II.  XVIII,  590. 


44  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

altar  of  horns,1  or  the  statue  of  Aphrodite,  which  Theseus  had 
dedicated  in  Delos.2  Every  year  the  Athenians  sent  a  sacred 
delegation  to  Delos  in  the  vessel  supposed  to  be  that  which  had 
been  used  by  Theseus.3  It  was  this  "theoria"  which  delayed 
the  death  of  Socrates,  for  no  one  was  executed  while  the  ship 
was  away.  The  origin  of  the  contest  in  honor  of  Apollo  at 
Delos  was  also  traced  to  Theseus.4  The  Athenian  festival 
Oschophoria,  honoring  Apollo,  Dionysus,  Athena,  Theseus  and 
Ariadne,  was  celebrated  on  the  anniversary  of  the  return  of 
Theseus  from  Crete.5 

Most  of  these  stories  probably  represent  some  actual  connec- 
tion between  the  rites  mentioned  and  Crete,  though  it  does  not 
seem  possible  accurately  to  define  the  connection  in  each  case. 

A  very  pleasing  incident  in  the  Theseus  myth  is  the  Eriboea 
episode.  On  the  way  to  Crete  Minos  offered  some  insult  to 
Eriboea,  one  of  the  maidens  of  the  tribute,  an  action  which 
Theseus  resented.  A  quarrel  ensued  in  the  course  of  which 
Minos  asked  Zeus  for  a  sign  to  prove  that  he  was  really  his  son. 
Zeus  responded  by  a  thunderclap.  Then  Minos  threw  his  ring 
into  the  sea  challenging  Theseus  to  regain  it  and  so  prove  his 
descent  from  Poseidon.  Theseus  leaped  into  the  water,  dolphins 
conducted  him  to  the  home  of  the  marine  deities  where  Amphi- 
tryte  returned  the  ring  to  him  and  presented  him  with  a  robe 
and  a  wreath.6 

There  are  parallels  for  the  story  of  the  son  of  the  water  divin- 
ities visiting  his  parents  and  receiving  gifts  from  them,  e.  g., 
in  the  Aristaeus  myth.7  There  does  not  seem  to  be  any  special 
reason  why  this  incident  should  be  connected  with  Minos  and 
Crete. 


1  Plut.  Thes.  21. 

2  Paus.  IX,  40,  3;  Call.  Del.  307. 

3  Plut.  Thes.  23;  Plat.  Phaedo  58  A. 

4  Paus.  VIII,  48,  2;  Plut.  Qu.  conv.  VIII,  3,  p.  724  A;  Plut.  Thes.  21. 

6  Etym.  M.,Suid.  s.v.  E'lpeauovT);  Phot.,Suid.  s.w.  IIspiaYeip6[i,svoi,  Sxfpoc; 
Phot.  Bibl.,  p.  322  a  13  Bekker;  Plut.  Thes.  23,  and  36;  Apostol.  XVIII, 
67. 

«Bacchyl.  XVI;  Paus.  1,  17,  3;  1,  42,  2;  Hyg.  Astr.  II,  5;  Eur.  frag.  386 
Nauck. 

7  Verg.  Geor.  IV,  360. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  45 

There  is  no  generally  accepted  version  as  to  how  Theseus 
came  to  marry  Phaedra,  a  second  daughter  of  Minos.1  He 
carried  her  off  with  Ariadne,  intending  to  make  her  the  wife  of 
his  son  Hippolytus,  but  fascinated  by  her  beauty  he  killed 
Ariadne  and  violated  Phaedra,  says  one  tradition.2  He  mar- 
ried her  with  the  consent  of  Minos,  who  had  become  very  fond 
of  him,  says  another.3  The  story  of  Phaedra's  love  for  Hip- 
polytus, his  refusal  of  her  advances,  her  false  accusation,  his 
death  in  answer  to  his  father's  prayer,  have  often  been  treated  in 
the  classical  literature.4  A  very  late  development  is  the  addi- 
tion that  Hippolytus  was  revived  by  Asclepius  and  sent  to 
Aricia  in  Italy,  where  he  was  honored  as  Virbius.5 

It  is  not  surprising  that  the  Cretan  Phaedra  should  dedicate 
two  statues  of  Eileithyia  in  her  temple  in  Athens.6  She  built 
temples  of  Aphrodite  in  Athens,7  at  Zerynthus  in  Thrace,8  and 
at  Troezen.9  Pausanias10  mentions  a  few  more  details  which 
connect  her  with  Troezen. 

The  Phaedra  legend  is  another  of  the  many  traditional  bonds 
between  Crete  and  Athens.  Troezen  and  Thrace  are  also  linked 
with  Crete  in  this  story. 

K.  Daedalus 

Daedalus,  the  Athenian  architect,  sculptor,  and  inventor,  was 
banished  from  his  home  on  account  of  the  murder  of  his  nephew.11 
He  went  to  Crete12  and  there  built  the  labyrinth  for  Minos  in 
imitation  of  the  Egyptian  structure.13     He  also  made  statues  for 

iPlut.  Thes.  28;  Ath.  XIII,  p.  557  A;  p.  560  D;  Schol.  Lye.  1329;  Serv. 
Aen.  VI,  445;  Eust.  II.  XXIV,  204;  Hyg.  F.  43;  Paus.  IX,  16,  4;  etc. 

2  Philochorus/rag.  40  M. 

3  Ath.  XIII,  p.  601,  E;  Ar.  ap.  Stob.  Fl.  68,  17. 

4 Eur.  Hipp.;  Ov.  M.  XV,  497;  Verg.  Aen.  VI,  445;  Philostr.  Imag.  II,  4; 
Hyg.  F.  47;  Suid.  s.  v.  07]aeu<;;  etc. 

6  Serv.  Aen.  VII,  761;  Ov.  F.  VI,  737;  Ov.  M.  XV,  497;  Hyg.  F.  59,  251. 

6  Paus.  1,  18,  4. 

7  Schol.  II.  XI,  320;  Schol.  Lye.  610. 

8  Schol.  Lye.  449. 

9  ibid.;  ibid.  610. 

10  Paus.  1,  22,  1;  II,  32,  3. 

"Apollod.  Ill,  15,  8;  Paus.  VII,  4,  4;  Hyg.  F.  39;  Suid.,  Phot.  Lex.  s.  v. 
UipoiKoc,  tepov. 

12  Paus.  VII,  4,  4;  1,  21,  4;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14. 

"Apollod.  Ill,  1,  4;  III,  15,  7;  Hyg.  F.  40;  Diod.  1,  61,  3;  Plin.,  N.  H. 
XXXVI,  85. 


46  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

Minos  and  his  daughters.1  He  was  arrested  together  with  his 
son  Icarus2  for  aiding  Pasiphae3  or  Ariadne.4  Daedalus,  how- 
ever, made  wings  for  himself  and  Icarus,  and  they  escaped.5 
But  Icarus  flew  too  high  and  the  sun  melted  the  wax  with 
which  the  feathers  were  attached  to  the  frame  of  the  wings.6 
Icarus  fell  into  the  sea,  which  from  him  received  the  name  Icar- 
ian.7  His  body  was  washed  ashore  at  an  island  later  named 
Icarus  or  Icaria  and  was  buried  by  Daedalus8  or  by  Heracles.9 

This  story,  of  course,  was  made  comprehensible  to  the  reason- 
ing mind  by  various  interpretations,10  the  more  common  one  of 
them  being  that  the  wings  were  in  reality  sails,  which  had  not 
been  used  before.11 

Daedalus,  the  Athenian  craftsman,  the  mythical  representa- 
tive of  the  arts  in  general,  worked  in  Crete,  i.  e.,  at  an  early  time 
the  arts  flourished  in  Crete.  The  story  reflects  also  the  strong 
cultural  and  artistic  affinities  between  Crete  and  the  mainland. 
It  is  somewhat  odd  that  Daedalus  was  supposed  to  have  gone 
from  Athens  to  Crete,  and  not  from  Crete  to  Athens;  for  Crete 
was  the  source  of  the  early  civilization  of  Greece.  Still  a  counter 
influence  perhaps  is  not  to  be  excluded.  The  story  that  Dae- 
dalus went  to  Crete  may  also  be  due  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
become  localized  in  Athens,  and  it  was  necessary  to  have  an 
exponent  of  the  arts  in  Crete  in  order  to  account  for  the  high 
civilization  of  that  place. 

Hyginus12  says  that  Theseus  took  Daedalus  to  Athens  with 
him  after  he  had  killed  the  Minotaur.  Another  story  is  that 
Daedalus  escaped  to  Athens;  Minos  pursuing  him  was  driven 
by  a  storm  to  Sicily  and  died  there.     His  successor  demanded 


1  Horn.  II.  XVIII,  590;  Paus.  VII,  4,  5. 

2  Paus.  VII,  4,  5;Ov.  A.  A.  II,  21. 

3  Zenob.  IV,  92. 

4  Serv.  Aen.  VI,   14. 

BStrab  XIV,  1,  9;  Diod.  IV,  77,  5;  V,  77,  4;  Verg.  Aen.  VI,  14;  etc. 

6Schol.  Eur.  Hec.  838;  Severus  i,  p.  539  VValz. 

7Hyg.  F.  40;  Schol.  II.  II,  145;  Diod.  IV,  77,  5;  Air.  Anab.  VII,  20,  5; 
etc. 

8  Diod.  77,  5;  Palaeph.  13;  Ov.  M.  VIII,  182;  Apostol.  V,  80. 

9Apollod.  II,  6,  3;  Paus.  IX,  11,  4;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14. 
10  Cramer,  Anecd.  Par.  383;  Luc.  astrol,  14. 

"Paus.  IX,  11,  4;  Palaeph.  13;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14.     Tzets.  Chil.  1,  473. 
12  Hyg.  F.  40. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  47 

the  extradition  of  the  fugitive  Daedalus.  Theseus  answered 
diplomatically,  but  made  a  sudden  attack  on  Crete  and  killed 
Deucalion  before  the  doors  of  the  labyrinth.  Ariadne,  the  new- 
ruler,  was  more  amenable  to  reason.1  Daedalus  went  to  bar- 
barians and  servitude,  says  Xenophon.2  But  the  generally 
accepted  version  is  that  he  escaped  to  king  Cocalus  at  Camicus3 
or  Inicus  in  Sicily.4  Minos  pursued  him,5  was  hospitably  re- 
ceived by  Cocalus,6  but  killed  by  his  daughters,  who  poured 
hot  water  or  boiling  pitch  over  him  while  he  was  in  the  bath.7 

Daedalus  then  went  to  Sardinia8  and  Cumae,9  and  finally 
died  in  Lycia.10  Minos  was  buried  in  a  newly  erected  temple  of 
Aphrodite,  where  his  body  was  found  and  returned  to  Crete  in 
the  time  of  Theron.11  Another  account  says  that  his  followers 
carrying  his  bones  to  Crete  landed  on  Corcyra.  Here  they  were 
attacked  by  the  natives  and  the  remains  of  Minos  were  scat- 
tered.12 

That  Crete  exerted  considerable  influence  on  Sicily  is  proved 
by  the  excavations,13  so  the  myth  of  the  Cretan  expedition  to 
this  island  probably  rests  on  some  historical  facts.  The  wander- 
ings of  Daedalus  to  various  places  seem  to  have  been  invented 
with  the  object  of  accounting  for  the  culture  of  these  localities. 
His  stay  at  Cumae  seems  to  be  a  pure  fiction  of  Vergil's. 

L.  Summary 

In  summing  up  the  Minos  myths  it  is  very  difficult  to  make 
any  precise  statements  about  their  central  figure.  He  may 
have  been  a  divinity,  or  a  great  king  about  whom  the  glorious 


1  Clidemus  ap.  Plut.  Thes.  19. 
2Xen.  Mem.  IV,  2,  33. 

3Diod.  IV,  77,  5;  Strabo  VI,  26;  Schol.  Pind.  N.  IV,  95;  Paus.  1,  21,  4; 
Conon  Narr,  25;  Ov.  M.  VIII,  260:  Hyg.  F.  40;  44. 
4  Paus.  VII,  4,  5;  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  K(X[llY.6q. 
6Zenob.  IV,  92;  Tzetz.  Chil,  1,  473;  etc. 

6  Diod.  XVI,  9,  4. 

7  Paus.  VII,  4,  5;  Schol.  II.  II,  145;  Eust.  Od.  XVII,  220;  Schol.,  Pind.  N. 
IV,  95;  etc. 

8  Paus.  X,  17,  4;  Serv.  Aen.  VI,  14;  ibid.  Geor.  1,  14. 

9  Verg.  Aen,  VI,  14;  Serv.  ad  I. 

10  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  AalBaXa. 

11  Diod.  Sic.  IV,  79,  3. 
n  Schol.  Ov.  lb.  509. 

13  cf.  T.  E.  Peet,  Stone  and  Bronze  Age  in  Sicily,  p.  432  ff.     Orsi,  in  Atti  del 
Congresso  Internazionale  di  scienze  storiche,  Roma,  1904,  p.  97. 


48  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

traditions  of  Crete  gradually  crystallized;  again  a  whole  line  of 
kings  may  be  hidden  under  the  name  of  Minos,  cf .  the  Egyptian 
"Pharaoh." 

A  powerful  nation,  strong  rulers,  extensive  conquests,  wide- 
spread influence,  good  government,  just  administration,  peace, 
and  happiness  are  lines  in  the  picture  which  the  later  Greeks 
drew  of  the  condition  of  Crete  under  Minos. 

4.  Rhadamanthys 

Rhadamanthys  was  the  son  of  Zeus  and  Europa,1  or,  accord- 
ing to  an  isolated  tradition,  son  of  Hephaestus.2  Some  writers 
assume  two  men  of  this  name  or  at  least  place  Rhadamanthys 
chronologically  before  Minos.3  The  story  that  he  was  reared 
in  Rhodes  by  the  daughters  of  Helios  is  probably  -due  to  the 
desire  for  an  etymology.4  He  was  said  to  have  been  educated 
by  Minos.5 

Rhadamanthys  was  a  lawgiver  and  a  judge6  whose  justice 
was  proverbial.7  Legal  maxims  ascribed  to  him  are:  the  penalty 
is  to  be  similar  to  the  crime;8  homicide  is  justifiable  in  self- 
defence.9  He  is  said  to  have  decided  cases  by  letting  the  con- 
testants take  oath,10  though  this  seems  to  contradict  his  practice 
of  not  using  the  name  of  any  god  in  an  oath,  but  swearing  by  the 
goose,  dog,  ram,  swan,  plane  trees,  vegetables,  etc.11  This  cus- 
tom was  imitated  by  Socrates  and  his  followers.12 

Minos  was  jealous  of  Rhadamanthys  and  therefore  sent  him 
to   the  outskirts  of  his  kingdom.13     Rhadamanthys  ruled  the 


1  cf.  "Europa." 

2  Cinaethon  ap.  Paus.  VIII,  53,  4. 

3  Strab.  X,  4,  8. 

4Etym.  M.  s.  v.  'PaBa^avOuq. 
5  Plato  Minos  15,  p.  320  B. 

'ibid.;  Plut.  Thes.  XVI,  3;  Diod.  V,  79,  1;  Plin.,  N.  H.  VII,  91;  Menander 
Rhet.,  p.  243  Walz. 

7  Plato  Leg.  1,  p.  624  A;  ibid.  Minos  12,  p.  318  D;  Isocr.  Pan.  205;  etc. 
8Arist.  Eth.  Nic.  V,  8,  p.  1132. 
9Apollod.  II,  4,  9. 

10  Plat.  Leg.  XII,  p.  948  B. 

11  Ar.  Av.  521  and  schol.;  Zenob.  V,  81;  Hesych.  Suid.,  Phot.  s.  v.  'Paoa^xa- 
vGuot;  opxoq. 

12  Plat.  Apol.,  p.  22  A;  ibid.  Gorg.,  p.  482  B;  Schol.  Ar.  Av.  521,  Suid.  I.  c. 

13  Diod.  V,  84,  1. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  49 

islands,  especially  those  off  the  shore  of  Ionia  and  Caria,  and 
also  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor.1  According  to  Diodorus,2  he  gave 
the  control  of  cities  and  islands  to  his  followers :  Ery thrae  to  his 
son  Erythrus;3  Chios  to  Oenopion,  son  of  Dionysus  and  Ariadne; 
Lemnos  to  his  general  Thoas;  Cythnos  to  Enyes;  Peparethos  to 
Pamphylus  (Staphylus?) ;  Maroneia  to  Euanthes;  Paros  to 
Alcaeus;  Delos  to  Anion;  Andros  to  Andreus.  Gortyn  is  said 
to  have  been  founded  by  Gortys,  son  of  Rhadamanthys.4  The 
Rhadamei  in  Arabia  traced  their  descent  from  him.5  About 
his  voyage  to  Euboea  to  see  Tityus  we  know  no  details.6 

Rhadamanthys  is  connected  rather  closely  with  Heracles  and 
Boeotia.  He  was  the  teacher  of  the  young  hero,7  and  he  is 
mentioned  also  in  connection  with  the  trial  of  Heracles  for  the 
death  of  Linus.8  After  the  death  of  Amphitryo  Rhadamanthys 
married  Alcmene,  the  mother  of  Heracles,  and  lived  in  Oecalia 
in  Boeotia.9  This  exile  is  said  to  have  been  caused  by  the  fact 
that  he  killed  his  own  brother.10  His  tomb  and  other  evidences 
of  his  stay  at  the  place  were  shown  at  Haliartus,  where  he  was 
worshiped  under  the  name  of  Aleas.11  Alcmene  is  united  with 
Rhadamanthys  even  after  death.12  Homer13  has  Rhadamanthys 
rule  in  Elysium  at  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  Pindar14  puts  this  Elysium 
under  the  earth.  His  office  as  judge  of  the  dead  seems  to  have 
been  accorded  to  him  out  of  regard  for  his  justice  and  fairness.15 


^pollod.  Ill,  I,  2;  Diod.  V,  79,  1. 
2/.  c. 

3  Paus.  VII,  3,  4. 

4Cinaethon  ap.  Paus.  VIII,  53,  4. 
5  Plin.  N.  H.  VI,  168. 

6Od.  VII,  322.       Tityus  is  also  connected  with  Crete  by  his  marriage  to 
Elara,  daughter  of  Minos.  Eust.  Od.  VII,  324. 

7  Arist.  ap.  Schol.  Theocr.  XIII,  9;  Schol.  Lye.  50. 

8Apollod.  II,  4,  9. 

'ibid.;  ibid.  Ill,  1,  2;  Schol.  Lye.  50;  Anth.  Pal.  Ill,  13;  Plut.  Lys.  28. 

10  Schol.  Lye.  50. 

11  Plut.  Lys.  28. 

12  Pherecydes  ap.  Ant.  Lib.  33. 

13  Od.  IV,  563. 

14  Pind.  O.  II,  137. 

15  Diod.  V,  79,  2;  Plato  Gorg.,  p.  523  D;  Anth.  Pal.  1,  264,  47;  Luc.  Catapl. 
13  ff- 


50  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

5.  Sarfedon 

Sarpedon,  the  second  brother  of  Minos,1  quarreled  with  him 
about  their  favorite  Miletus  or  Atymnius.2  Sarpedon  and 
Miletus  were  forced  to  leave  Crete,  and  according  to  one  report 
Sarpedon  founded  the  city  of  Miletus  in  Asia  Minor,  naming  it 
after  the  Cretan  town  of  the  same  name.3  Another  report  has 
it  that  Miletus  founded  this  city,4  while  Sarpedon  aided  Cilix 
against  the  Lycians  and  took  possession  of  the  Lycian  land.5 
The  Homeric  hero  Sarpedon  has  no  immediate  connection  with 
Crete.6 

The  historic  kernel  of  the  Rhadamanthys  and  Sarpedon 
myths  is  about  as  difficult  to  find  as  that  of  the  Minos  legends. 
Both  may  have  been  gods  who  degenerated  into  heroes  or 
mortals  who  came  to  be  considered  semi-divine.  The  tradition 
does,  however,  give  us  a  glimpse  of  strong  men  in  Crete,  of 
some  friction  between  them,  of  conquest  and  control  of  the 
islands  and  parts  of  the  mainland. 

6.  Deucalion 

Deucalion,  son  of  Minos  and  Pasiphae,7  father  of  Idomeneus 
and  Molos,8  does  not  play  a  prominent  part  in  the  mythology. 
He  joined  in  the  hunt  of  the  Calydonian  boar.9  According  to 
one  legend  Theseus  was  on  his  way  to  Deucalion  when  a  storm 
drove  him  to  Scyros,  where  he  died;10  according  to  another, 
Theseus  killed  Deucalion  in  a  raid  upon  Crete.11 


xvid.  "Europa"  and  "Minos." 
2Apollod.  Ill,  i,  2. 

3  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1,  185;  Ephorus  ap.  Strab.  XIV,  1,  6. 

4  cf .  p.  65,  12. 

5Apollod.  Ill,  1,  2;  Strab.  XIV,  3,  10;  Paus.  VII,  3,  7;  Hdt.  1,  173;  VII, 
92;  Diod.  V,  79,  3. 

6 II.  V,  471;  VI,  199;  XII,  292;  XVI,  472;  Schol.  Eur.  Rhes.  28;  Diod.  V, 

79.3- 

7  Paus.V,  25,  9;  Schol.  Lye.  431;  Eust.  II.  11,  645;  Diod.  V,  79,  4;  II.  XIII, 

45i- 

8  Schol.  Lye.  431;  II.  XII,  118;  XIII,  452;  Diod.  V,  79,  4;   Eust.  II.  645; 
Apollod.  Ill,  3,  1. 

*Hyg.  F.  173. 
"Paus.  1,  17,  6. 
11  Plut.  Thes.  19. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  51 

Deucalion  also  furnishes  a  few  points  of  contact  between 
Crete  and  the  rest  of  Greece. 

7.   ASTERIUS-ASTERION 

An  Asterion,  son  of  Minos,  sometimes  directly  identified  with 
the  Minotaur,1  was  killed  by  Theseus  in  Crete.2  In  the  Diony- 
siaca  of  Nonnus  Asterius  plays  a  prominent  role:  he  is  called 
the  son  of  Minos  and  Androgeneia,3  and  the  father  of  Miletus 
and  Caunus.4  He  did  not  return  to  Crete  after  the  expedition 
of  Dionysus,  but  settled  near  the  river  Phasis.5  Now  there  is 
actually  an  Asterius  connected  with  the  city  of  Miletus6  and 
Phasis  is  a  colony  of  Miletus,7  so  Nonnus  may  have  preserved 
a  bit  of  old  legend  here;  on  the  whole,  however,  he  modifies  and 
recombines  the  old  myths  to  such  an  extent  that  he  can  hardly 
be  considered  of  value  as  an  authority. 

This  Asterius  is  doubtless  identical  with  the  predecessor  of 
Minos,  and  is  therefore  to  be  explained  in  the  same  way. 

8.  Idomeneus  and  Meriones 

Idomeneus,  a  suitor  of  Helen,8  and  a  frequent  visitor  in  Sparta,9 
went  to  Troy  with  eighty  or  ninety  ships,10  distinguished  himself 
against  the  enemy,11  and  was  honored  by  his  comrades.12  A 
somewhat  unfavorable  light  is  thrown  upon  his  character  by 
his  keeping  for  himself  the  greatest  part  of  the  spoils  he  was  to 
divide.13    According  to  Homer14  he  returned  in  safety  to  Crete. 


iApollod.  Ill,  1,  4;  Schol.  Lye.  653,  1301. 
2Paus.  II,  31,  1. 

3  Nonnus  Dion.  XIII,  220;  XXXV,  381. 

4  ibid.  XIII,  546. 

6  ibid.  XL,  285;  XIII,  244. 

6  Paus.  VII,  2,  5. 

7  Pomp.  Mela.  1,  108. 

8  Hes.  frag.  96,   16,  Rzach;  Hyg.  F.  78;  270;  Simonides  and  Ibycus  ap. 
Eust.  II.  XIII,  517. 

Ml.  Ill,  228. 

10 II.  II,  652;  Hyg.  F.  97;  Diod.  V.  79,  4. 

11 II.  IV,  251;  VII,  166;  XVII,  605;  V.  43;  XII,  117;  XIII,  219;  Paus.  V,  25, 
9;  Hyg.  F.  114. 

12 II.  IV,  262;  Ath.  1,  13,  ff. 

13Suid.,  Phot.  Lex.  5.  v.  xpr/rl^etv;  Zenob.  IV,  62. 

14  Od.  Ill,  191. 


52  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

An  isolated  report  has  it  that  he  did  not  go  to  Troy  at  all,  be- 
cause the  Greeks  refused  to  make  him  joint  commander  with 
Agamemnon,  as  he  had  demanded.1 

A  different  story  about  the  return  of  Idomeneus  to  Crete, 
largely  dependent  on  Lycophron,  is  that  Idomeneus  had  en- 
trusted the  administration  of  his  kingdom  to  Leucus  or  Amycus, 
the  son  of  Talos,2  whom  he  had  adopted3  and  intended  to  make 
his  son-in-law.4  Leucus,  however,  seduced  the  wife  of  Idom- 
eneus,5 then  killed  her  and  her  children,  including  his  own  prom- 
ised bride.6  When  Idomeneus  returned  from  Troy,  Leucus 
attacked  him.7  In  the  ensuing  struggle  ten  cities  were  burned8 
and  Idomeneus  was  finally  driven  from  Crete.9  He  was  buried 
at  Colophon.10 

Vergil  and  his  commentators11  allude  to  this  story  and  add  to 
it:  Idomeneus  after  his  expulsion  from  Crete  went  to  Illyria, 
then  to  Italy  where  he  founded  Uria  and  Sallentinum.  Such 
variations  as  the  following,  that  a  revolt  of  the  Ivlagnesians 
drove  him  from  Lyctus,12  that  his  own  subjects  had  expelled  him 
on  account  of  a  pestilence  which  had  come  over  them  for  some 
impiety  of  his,13  and  that  he  died  at  Clarus,14  seem  to  show  that 
the  story  rested  on  some  other  authority  besides  Lycophron. 
The  most  of  it  may  however  be  regarded  as  an  attempt  to  ac- 
count for  the  discrepancy  in  the  number  of  Cretan  cities  in  the 
two  Homeric  accounts,  one  saying  there  were  one  hundred,  the 
other  ninety.15  To  this  was  added  the  desire  to  attach  the 
Italo-Cretan  tradition  to  some  famous  name. 


1  Protesilaus  ap.  Philostr.  Her.  Ill,  7,  p.  705. 

2  Schol.  Lye.  431;  1218;  Schol.  II.  II,  649;  Tzetz.  Chil.  Ill,  291. 

3  Eust.  and  Schol.  Od.  XIX,  174. 

4  Schol.  Lye.  1218. 
bibid.  384;  1093. 

6  ibid.  1214;  1218;  Tzetz.  Chil.  Ill,  291;  Verg.  Aen.  XI,  264. 

7  Schol.  Lye.  431. 

'ibid.,  Schol.,  II.  II,  645;  Eust.  Od.  XIX,  174. 

9  Schol.  Lye.  384,  and  431;  Eust.  and  Schol.  Od.  XIX,   174;   Tzetz.  Chil 
III,  291;  Verg.  Aen,  III,  121. 

10  Schol.  Lye.  424. 

11  Verg.  Aen.  Ill,  121;  XI,  264;  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  401;  Prob.  Eel.  VI,  31. 
12Prob.  Eel.  VI,  31. 

"Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  121;  XI,  264. 

"Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  401. 

15  II.  II,649;Od.  XIX,  174. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  53 

An  interesting  little  aetiological  anecdote  is  the  story  that 
Idomeneus  was  judge  in  a  contest  of  beauty  between  Thetis 
and  Medea  in  Thessaly.  Medea,  the  loser,  became  very  angry 
and  said:  "KpYJTsq  del  <]>euara{" — the  first  occurrence  of  the 
proverb — and  cursed  them  with  the  inability  to  tell  the  truth.1 

The  stories  told  of  Idomeneus  by  Dictys  Cretensis  and  Quintus 
Smyrnaeus  do  not  seem  to  have  any  value. 

Meriones,  son  of  Molos  and  Melphis,2  the  companion  of 
Idomeneus,3  acquitted  himself  bravely  before  Troy.4  He  is 
said  to  have  joined  the  Cretans,  who  had  settled  at  Engyon  in 
Sicily  after  the  unsuccessful  expedition  of  Minos.5  The  city 
of  Cressa  in  Paphlagonia  claimed  him  as  its  founder.6 

The  role  played  by  Idomeneus  and  Meriones  in  the  account 
of  the  Trojan  war  is  an  index  of  the  importance  which  Crete 
had  in  the  minds  of  the  author  or  authors  of  the  epic.  Crete 
evidently  was  thought  to  have  been  a  great  force  in  the  earliest 
history  of  Greece. 

9.  Catreus  and  Althaemenes 

According  to  the  legends  of  Tegea  Catreus,  founder  of  Catre 
in  Crete,  was  the  son  of  Tegeates  of  Tegea.7  The  general 
tradition,  however,  makes  him  the  son  of  Minos.8  He  is  known 
especially  as  the  father  of  Aerope,  the  mother  of  Agamemnon 
and  Menelaus.  She  and  her  sister  were  detected  in  wrongdoing 
by  their  father  and  given  to  Nauplius  with  orders  to  sell  them 
as  slaves.  Nauplius,  however,  himself  married  Clymene;  their 
children  were  Oeax  and  Palamedes.  Aerope  was  given  as  wife 
to  Pleisthenes;  Agamemnon  and  Menelaus  were  born  to  them.9 
According  to  Homer,  however,  Agamemnon  and  Menelaus  were 


1  Ptol.  Nov.  Hist.  4. 

2  Diod.  V,  79,  4;  Hyg.  F.  97;  Eust.  II.  II,  645. 

3  II.  XXIII,  528;  Anth.  Pal  XII,  247. 

4  II.  XIII,  527;  565;  642;  XVI,  617;  Hyg.  F.  114. 
6  Diod.  IV,  79,  6;  Posid.  ap.  Plut.  Marcell.  XX. 

6  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Kp^aaa. 

7  Paus.  VIII,  53,  4. 

8  ibid.;  Apollod.  Ill,  2. 

9  Apollod.  Ill,  2;  Diet.  Cret.  1,  1;  Schol.  Lye.  150;  Eur.  Or.  17;  1009;  Schol. 
Soph.  Aj.  1295. 


54  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

sons  of  Atreus.  Another  daughter,  Apemosyne,  was  loved  by 
Apollo.1 

A  son  of  C  atreus,  Althaemenes,  went  to  Rhodes  in  order  to 
prevent  the  fulfillment  of  an  oracle  saying  that  he  would  kill 
his  father.  He  founded  Cretinia  or  Camirus  in  Rhodes  and 
built  an  altar  of  Zeus  Atabyrius  on  a  headland  in  view  of  Crete. 
Catreus  later  went  to  Rhodes  in  order  to  ask  Althaemenes  to 
return.  He  was  mistaken  for  a  pirate,  a  battle  ensued,  and  he 
was  slain  by  his  own  son.2  Another  version  makes  Althaemenes 
an  Argive  who  came  to  Crete  with  the  Dorians  and  founded 
ten  cities  there.3  Another  represents  him  as  Heraclid,  some  of 
whose  followers  settled  in  Crete,  some  in  Rhodes,  where  he 
founded  Lindus,  Camirus,  and  Ialysus.4  Althaemenes  received 
heroic  honors  in  Rhodes  after  his  death.5 

Legendary  connection  of  Crete  with  the  various  Greek  cities 
and  the  island  of  Rhodes  is  shown  by  the  stories  grouped  about 
Catreus  and  Althaemenes. 

10.  Orion 

According  to  the  story  told  by  Hesiod6  Orion  was  the  son  of 
Poseidon  and  Euryale,  daughter  of  Minos,  or  Hyeles,  also  a 
daughter  of  Minos.7  He  hunted  with  Artemis  and  Leto  in 
Crete,  and  bragged  that  he  would  allow  no  wild  beast  to  escape 
him.  Ge,  pitying  her  creatures,  sent  a  scorpion  which  killed 
him.  Another  version  has  Artemis  and  Leto  send  the  scorpion.8 
According  to  a  third  he  was  killed  while  attempting  to  violate 
Artemis  in  Crete  or  in  Chios.9  The  scorpion  was  put  among 
the  stars.10 

Orion,  the  eastern  astral  divinity,  does  not  seem  to  be  integrally 
a  part  of  Cretan  mythology.     He  may,  however,  represent  the 


»Apollod.  Ill,  2. 

2  ibid;  Zeno  Rhodius  ap.  Diod.  V,  59,  1. 

3  Hes.  ap.  Schol.  Arat.,  p.  247  Maas;  Hyg.  Astr.  II,  34;  (Erat.)  Cat.  32. 

4  Schol.  Nicand.  Ther.  15. 

6  Schol.  Arat.,  p.  405  Maas;  Callim.  Dian.  fin. 

6  Arat.  Ph.  634  and  schol. 

7  cf.  6,  also  (Erat.)  Cat.  32. 

8  Ephorus  ap.  Strab.  X,  4,  15. 
9Conon  Narr.  47;  Strab.  XIV,  2,  6. 
10  Diod,  V,  59,  1. 


The  Myths  About  the  Heroes  55 

memories  of  a  later  age  when  Oriental  influence  was  stronger  in 
the  island  than  it  was  during  its  most  flourishing  time. 

ii.  Odysseus 

Very  interesting  are  the  accounts  which  Odysseus  invents 
concerning  his  Cretan  origin  and  experiences,  how  he  was  com- 
pelled to  leave  Crete  because  he  had  killed  the  son  of  Idomeneus,1 
or  how  he  had  made  nine  piratical  expeditions  from  Crete2  or 
how  he  had  at  least  visited  Crete.3 

These  accounts  show  the  lively  intercourse  between  Crete 
and  the  mainland  and  the  frequency  with  which  Cretans  might 
arrange  warlike  expeditions  to  adjacent  coasts. 

12.  Epimenides 

The  Epimenides  myth,  although  generally  dated  in  the 
seventh  or  even  in  the  sixth  century,  seems  to  be  very  much 
earlier  in  certain  of  its  parts.  Epimenides  of  Phaestus4  or  of 
Cnossus5  was  called  the  son  of  Zeus  by  a  voice  coming  from 
heaven.6  Sometimes  he  was  considered  the  son  of  Cures  and 
the  nymph  Balte.7  He  was  himself  called  Cures  by  the  Cretans 
and  received  divine  honors.8  Nymphs  brought  his  food  to  him.9 
Epimenides  fell  asleep  and  slept  fifty-seven  or  sixty  years,  and 
on  awaking  lived  a  century  or  two  longer.10  He  had  revela- 
tions11 and  was  a  prophet.12  He  was  said  to  have  come  to  life  after 
death,13  in  fact,  to  be  the  reincarnation  of  Aeacus.14 

These  supernatural  features  were  attached  to  what  appears 
to  have  been  a  historical  personage.     An  Epimenides  came  to 


iOd.  XIII,  256. 

2Od.  XIV,  191;  XVI,  62;  XVII,  522;  Lye.  432  and  schol. 

3  Horn.  Od.  XIV,  382;  XIX,  172. 

4  Plut.  Sol.  12. 

5  Diog.  L.  1,  10,  1. 

6  ibid. 

7  Plut.  Sol.  12. 

8  Diog.  L.  1,  10,  11. 
*  ibid.  1,  10,  1. 

10 ibid.;  Plin.  N.  H.  VII,  57;  Schol.  Luc.  Tim.  6. 

11  Maxim.  Tyr.  1,  16,  1. 

12  Arist.  Rhet.  Ill,  p.  1418  Bekker;  Plut.  def.  orac,  p.  409  E;  Eust.  II.  II, 
645;  Diog.  L.  1,  10,  4. 

13  Procl.  in  Plat.  Rep.  X,  614,  B. 

14  Diog.  L.  1,  10,  11. 


56  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

Sparta  and  Athens  in  the  time  of  Solon.1  He  aided  Solon  in  his 
legislation,2  and  purified  by  peculiar  rites  the  city  defiled  by  the 
Cylonian  contamination.3  A  number  of  works  on  the  mythol- 
ogy, religion,  and  constitution  of  Crete  were  ascribed  to  him.4 

13.  Summary 

Now  out  of  these  myths  of  Cretan  gods  and  heroes  certain 
general  facts  may  be  abstracted  which  summarize  the  Greek 
belief  concerning  earliest  Crete. 

Many  of  the  gods  were  born  in  the  island.  This  meant  for 
a  Greek  that  their  worship  originated  there  or  at  least  was 
prevalent  at  a  very  early  time  and  spread  from  this  center  to 
other  places.  Crete  then  was  believed  to  have  had  a  prominent 
place  in  the  earliest  religious  thought  of  Hellas. 

Agreeing  with  this  is  the  name  [xaxdpwv  vqaoq  "the  island  of 
the  gods"  applied  to  Crete,6  or  to  places  where  Cretan  influ- 
ence was  very  strong.6 

The  Greeks  further  believed  that  the  Cretan  heroes  had  been 
great  rulers,  whose  sway  extended  over  the  whole  of  the  island, 
who  ruled  it  well,  and  who  subjected  to  themselves  the  nearby 
islands  and  the  coasts  of  the  mainland. 

The  general  impression  concerning  the  internal  condition  of 
the  island  seems  to  have  been  that  peace  and  order  prevailed, 
at  least  until  after  the  Trojan  war.  There  is  a  lack  of  tradition 
about  wars  and  revolutions  in  Crete  before  this  time.  The  good 
laws  of  Minos  and  Rhadamanthys  were  proverbial.  The  var- 
ious inventions  said  to  have  been  made  by  the  gods  in  Crete 
show  that  a  high  degree  of  civilization  was  believed  to  have 
existed  there.  The  statement  of  Homer  that  Crete  had  one 
hundred  or  at  least  ninety  cities  is  an  indication  of  what  the 
Greeks  thought  about  the  prosperity  of  the  island.  The  island 
of  the  gods  seems  also  to  have  been  the  island  of  the  blest. 


^lem.  Al.  Str.  1,  21,  p.  144  Sylb.;  Diog.  L.  1,  10,  5;  later  date  in   Plat. 
Leg.  1,  p.  642  D. 

2  Plut.  Sol.  12. 

3  Diog.  L.  1,  10,  1;  Eust.,  II.  II,  645;  Plut.  Sol.,  2. 

4  vid.  list  of  writers  on  Crete. 

&  Plin.  N.  H.  IV,  12,  20;  Solin  XI,  3;  Mart.  Cap.  VI,  659. 
6  Plin.  N.  H.  V,   132;  Schol,  Lye.   1194;  1204;  Heracl.  Pont.  29;    Pomp. 
Mela  II,  100;  cf.  I.  Malten,  J.  A.  I.  1913  p.  35. 


V.  THE  ETHNOLOGY  OF  CRETE 

The  earliest  inhabitants  of  Crete  according  to  tradition  were 
the  autochthonous  Curetes  and  Idaean  Dactyls,1  or  the  Tel- 
chins.2  After  them  came  the  Eteocretans,  the  "true  Cretans," 
earthborn  likewise.3  In  historical  times  they  lived  at  the 
eastern  end  of  the  island.4  Homer5  mentions  the  Cydonians 
together  with  the  Eteocretans;  these  would  naturally  live  in 
the  west  near  Cydonia.  Oddly  enough  there  is  at  the  present 
time  a  great  difference  in  the  results  of  the  excavations  in  the 
east  and  in  the  west  of  the  island.  Very  few  remains  of  the 
pre-Mycenaean  civilization  have  been  found  in  the  west.6  It 
may  then  very  well  be  that  the  Cydonians  resisted  attempts  to 
civilize  them  and  did  not  have  any  share  in  the  early  Cretan 
culture. 

Besides  these  two  tribes  which  are  mentioned  only  in  Crete, 
our  earliest  account7  names  three  other  ethnological  divisions: 
Pelasgians,  Achaeans,  Dorians.  The  Pelasgians  came  from 
Arcadia8  or  Thessaly9  under  Cercaphus10  at  the  time  the  Dorians 
came.11  The  Achaeans  were  thought  to  have  been  a  colony 
from  Mycenae,  led  by  Talthybius  after  the  Trojan  war,12  or  a  part 
of  the  Dorian  invasion.13     The  Dorians  came  from  Thessaly,14 


1  Diod.  V,  64,  3;  V,  65,  1. 

2  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  TeXxtv. 

3  Diod.  V,  64,  1;  Hesych.,  Etym.  M.  5.  v.  'EieoxpTJTSt;;  Od.  XIX,  176; 
Eust.  and  Schol.  ad  I. 

4  Strab.  X,  4,  6;  X,  4,  12. 
5Od.  XIX,  176. 

6  This  may  be  seen  most  clearly  in  the  museum  at  Candia.     Further  dis- 
coveries may  however  change  this  state  of  affairs. 
7Od.  XIX,  177. 

8  Ephorus  ap.  Strabo  V,  2,  4. 

9  Dion.  H.  A.  R.  1,  17;  Eust.  Od.  XIX,  176. 

10  ibid. 

11  ibid.;  Diod.  IV,  60,  2;  Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  Awptov;  Conon  Narr.  47. 

12  Eust.  and  Schol.  Od.  XIX,  175;  Diod.  V,  80,  2;  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Awpwv. 

13  ibid. 

14  Strab.  X,  4,  6. 

57 


58  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

together  with  some  Achaeans  from  Laconia,1  under  Tectamus, 
son  of  Dorus.2 

Diodorus3  says  that  after  these  came  various  barbarians,  who 
were  gradually  hellenized.  This  was  before  the  time  of  Minos. 
Homer  wishes  it  understood  that  the  five  races  were  already  in 
Crete  shortly  after  the  Trojan  war.  Herodotus  says4  that  the 
expedition  of  Minos  to  Sicily  depopulated  Crete  and  that  after- 
wards other  tribes,  especially  Greeks,  settled  in  the  semi-de- 
serted country.  After  the  Trojan  war  famine  and  pestilence 
again  decimated  the  inhabitants,  and  the  present  Cretans  then 
joined  the  survivors.  Thus  the  traditions  agree  on  an  influx  of 
northern  Greeks  at  a  very  early  time,  but  they  do  not  agree  on 
the  share  these  had  in  the  earliest  culture  of  Crete. 

The  difference  in  the  number  of  cities  in  the  two  Homeric 
accounts  has  already  been  discussed,  and  legends  to  account  for 
the  discrepancy  have  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  Idom- 
eneus.  Another  explanation  is  that  Pylaemenes  of  Sparta 
founded  ten  cities  after  the  Trojan  war.5  Spartan  colonies 
after  the  descent  of  the  Heraclidae  into  the  Peloponnesus  are 
also  mentioned  by  Diodorus;6  Lyctus  was  said  to  have  been  one.7 
The  connection  between  them  and  the  mother  country  was 
recognized  even  at  a  very  late  time,8  and  the  similarity  between 
Cretan  and  Spartan  customs  was  noted.9 

Agamemnon  went  to  Crete  after  the  Trojan  war  and  there 
founded  three  cities:  Mycenae,  Tegea,  and  Pergamum.10 
Another  story  tells  us  that  at  Polyrrhenia  his  captives  revolted 
while  he  was  performing  a  sacrifice,  and  he  escaped  with  only 
one  ship.11     The   fugitive  Trojans  amalgamated  with  Cretans 


1  Diod.  V,  80,  2. 

2  ibid. 

3  Diod.  V,  80,  2. 
4Hdt.  VII,  171. 

5  Schol.  II.  649. 

6  Diod.  V,  80,  3. 

7  Polyb.  IV,  54,  6;  Ephorus  ap.  Strab.  X,  4,  17. 

8  Paus.  Ill,  2,  7. 

9  Polyb.  IV,  36,  10;  Ephorus  ap.  Strab.  X,  4,  17;  Arist.  Pol.  II,  io,  p.  271; 
Hdt.  i,  65. 

10  Veil.  Pat.  I,  1,  2. 

"Apostol.  XII,  41;  Zenob.  V,  50. 


The  Ethnology  of  Crete  59 

under  Aeneas,  son  of  the  Trojan  Aeneas  and  a  Cretan  woman, 
and  founded  Pergamum.1  Lappa  was  also  said  to  owe  its  origin 
to  Agamemnon.2  According  to  another  report  the  Trojan 
Aeneas  was  the  founder  of  Pergamum,3  and  Talthybius  of  My- 
cenae was  the  founder  of  Tegea.4 

The  ten  cities  necessary  to  make  the  Homeric  accounts  tally 
are  sometimes  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Althaemenes  of 
Argos  after  the  Trojan  war.5  Dorians  and  Megarians  were 
said  to  have  joined  him.6  Argive  colonization  is  also  men- 
tioned elsewhere.7 

Arcadian  settlers  were  assumed  especially  for  Gortyn;8  the 
occurrence  of  a  city  of  the  same  name  in  Arcadia  would  naturally 
lead  to  the  growth  of  such  a  tradition.  Gortyn,  Cydonia,  and 
Catre,  according  to  the  legends  of  Tegea,  were  founded  by 
Gortys,  Cydon,  and  Catreus,  sons  of  Tegeates  of  Tegea.9  This 
tradition  was  not  accepted  in  Crete.10 

Another  tribe  which  settled  in  the  island  was  the  Tyrrhenian 
under  Pollis  and  Delphus.  They  had  orignally  carried  off 
Brauronian  women  from  Attica,  and  had  settled  on  Lemnos  and 
Imbros.  Later  they  went  to  Laconia,  from  there  to  Crete. 
Here  they  settled  Lyctus  and  took  a  number  of  other  cities. 
Their  descendants  thus  claimed  Athenian  and  Spartan  connec- 
tion.11 

A  Thessalian  colony  under  Leucippus,  a  Lycian,  remained  in 
Crete  for  a  time  before  proceeding  to  Ephesus.12  The  Magnetes 
of  Thessaly  did  the  same  on  their  way  to  Magnesia  on  the 
Maeander.13    The  nymph  Cyrene    traveling  from  Thessaly  to 


JServ.  Aen.  Ill,  133;  Diod.  XXXIII,  11. 

2Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.   Aa[XXY]. 

3  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  133. 

4Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Tsyea;  Eust.  Od.  XIX,  76. 

6  Ephorus  ap.  Strabo  X,  4,  15. 

6  Strab.,  XIV,  2,  6. 

"  Diod.  V,  80,  3. 

8  Plato  Leg.  IV,  3,  p.  708  A. 

8  Paus.  VIII,  53,  4. 
10  ibid. 

uPlut.  Qu.  Gr.,  p.  296;  mul.  virt.,  p.  247;  Conon  Narr.  36,  47;  Steph.  Byz. 
s.  v.  'Ovuxtov. 

12  Parthen.  Erot.  5. 

13  Strab.  XIV,  I,  II. 


60  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

Libya  also  touched  Crete.1  Similarly  the  Curetes  going  from 
Phrygia  to  Athens.2  These  stories  seem  to  be  intended  to 
explain  names  of  Cretan  cities,  or  they  are  a  record  of  Cretan 
contingents  in  colonies  outside  of  the  island. 

Pharae  in  Crete  was  said  to  be  a  colony  of  Pharae  in  Mes- 
senia.3 

The  isolated  mention  of  a  Phoenician  occupation  of  Crete  has 
been  noted  under  Europa.  A  Phoenician  Itanos  occurs  as 
heros  eponymus  of  the  town  of  the  same  name.4 

The  youths  and  maidens  sent  by  Athens  as  tribute  to  Minos 
were  not  thrown  to  the  Minotaur,  but  became  slaves  whose 
descendants  lived  in  Crete  for  a  long  time,  says  one  report.5 

The  Curetes  came  from  Phrygia,6  the  Telchins  from  Cyprus,7 
according  to  one  tradition. 

We  have  record  of  a  number  of  colonies  in  Crete,  Aeginetan, 
Samian,  and  Zacynthian,  founded  well  within  historical  times.8 
There  is  then  no  just  reason  to  doubt  that  there  were  colonies 
sent  into  Crete  at  an  earlier  date  and  that  the  reports  of  such 
colonies  as  given  in  the  traditions  have  a  great  deal  of  truth  in 
them. 

Homer9  mentions  the  following  Cretan  cities:  Cnossus, 
Gortyn,  Lyctus,  Miletus,  Lycastus,  Phaestus,  and  Rhythium. 
Cydonia  is  not  named,  though  the  Cydonians  are.10  The  hun- 
dred cities  were  enumerated  by  Xenion,11  from  whom  Stephanus 
Byzantius  drew.12  Scylax,13  Pliny,14  Pomponius  Mela,15  and 
Strabo16  also  record  names  of  cities.  There  are  about  enough 
of  them  extant  to  make  the  traditional  hundred. 


1  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  ii,  498. 

2  Nonnus  Dion.  XIII,  135. 
3Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  4>apat. 

4  ibid.  s.  v.  "Itgcvoc;. 

5  Arist.  frag.  443,  Bekker. 

6  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  I,  917;  Strab.  X,  3,  19. 

7  ibid. 

8Hdt.  Ill,  59;  Strab.  VIII,  6,  16. 

9  II.  II,  646. 
"Od.  XIX,  176. 
11  Schol.  Lye.  12 14. 
12Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Apay^LO?;  passim. 

13  Scylax  48. 

14  Plin.  N.  H.  IV,  59. 

15  Pomp.  Mela  II,  112. 

16  Strab.  X,  4. 


VI.  CRETAN  COLONIES 

Diodorus  and  others1  say  that  Minos  was  a  great  colonizer; 
the  islands  especially  and  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor  owed  their 
settlements  to  him,  as  was  proved  by  the  many  places  called 
Minoa  or  Creton  limen.  Thucydides2  also  calls  him  the  ofxtarfjc; 
of  many  of  the  islands;  so  does  Ephorus.3  Diodorus4  tells  us 
what  later  became  of  the  islands.  A  detailed  account  of  the 
places  traditionally  settled  by  the  Cretans  follows. 

i.  The  Islands 

Amorgos  had  a  town  called  Minoa.5 

Andros  was  given  by  Rhadamanthys  to  his  general  Andreus.6 

In  Ceos  Minos  married  Dexithea  by  whom  he  had  a  son 
Euxantius,  the  father  of  the  founder  of  Miletus.7  Minos  left 
one-half  of  his  crew  of  fifty  ships  in  Ceos.8 

Chios  was  given  by  Rhadamanthys  to  Oenopion,  the  son  of 
Ariadne  and  Dionysus9  or  of  Ariadne  and  Theseus.10  Oenopion's 
sons,  Talos,  Euanthes,  Melus,  Salagus,  and  Athamas,  succeeded 
him.11 

The  Telchins  of  Cyprus  were  said  to  have  been  originally 
Cretans  who  emigrated  to  the  other  island.12 


^iod.  V,  84,  1;  Menand.  Rhet.  IX,  178  Walz;  etc. 
2Thuc.  1,  4. 

3  ap.  Scymnus  Chius  533  ff. 

4  Diod.  V,  79,  1,  2. 

5Steph.  Byz.  s.  w.  'AfAopyoi;,  'ApxsctviQ,  Mcvwa. 
6  Diod.  V,  79,  1. 

7Bacchyl.  1,  7;  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  2;  Schol.  Ov.  lb.  475;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1, 
185. 

8  Bacchyl.  1,  8. 

9  Diod.  V,  79,  1. 

10  Schol.  Arat.,  p.  461  Maas;  Diod.  V,  79,  1. 

11  Ion  Chius  ap.  Plut.  Thes.  20;  Critias  frag.  I,  5,  Bergk.;  idem   ap.  Paus. 
VII,  4,  8. 

12  Strab.  XIV,  2,  4;  Nicol.  Dam.  ap.  Stob.  fl.  38,  56. 

61 


62  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

Cythnos  was  turned  over  by  Rhadamanthys  to  his  general 
Enyeus.1 

Delos,  which  is  connected  so  closely  with  Crete  by  the  Theseus 
myth,  was  also  one  of  the  islands  of  Rhadamanthys;  he  set  his 
general  Anion  over  it.2 

Lemnos  was  given  by  Rhadamanthys  to  his  general  Thoas.3 
Naxos,  which  is  associated  with  Crete  by  the  Ariadne  myth 
and  by  an  incident  of  the  Zeus  myth,4  has  its  name  from  Naxos, 
a  son  of  Apollo  and  Acacallis,  the  daughter  of  Minos.6 

Paros  was  originally  called  Minoa.6  It  received  its  later 
name  from  Parius,  the  son  or  grandson  of  Iasion  and  Demeter.7 
It  was  taken  by  Minos,  and  subjected  to  Cretan  laws.8  Here 
Minos  was  sacrificing  when  the  news  of  the  death  of  Androgeus 
came  to  him.9  Its  rulers  were  the  sons  of  Minos:  Eurymedon, 
Chryses,  Nephalion,  and  Philolaus,10  or  Alcaeus,  the  general  of 
Rhadamanthys.11 

Peparethos  and  leas  were  settled  by  Cretans  under  Staphylus.12 
Pholegandros  is  named  after  Pholegandros,  the  son  of  Minos.13 
Rhene  was  settled  by  Minos  and  dedicated  by  him  to  Apollo.14 
Rhodes  received  Cretan  colonists  under  Althaemenes,  the  son 
of  Catreus  (q.  v.)  He  founded  Cretinia,  or  Camirus,  and 
built  the  altar  of  Zeus  Atabyrius.15 

The  Samian  town  Miletus  was  founded  by  Miletus  the  Cretan.1* 
For  Samothrace  there  is  no  direct  statement  of  Cretan  coloniz- 
ation, unless  the  belief  that  the  Samothracian  mysteries  came 


1  Diod.  V,  79,  i. 

2  ibid. 

3  Diod.  V,  79,  i. 

4  Zeus  was  brought  to  Naxos  from  Crete  to  hide  him  from  Cronus.     From 
Naxos  he  went  to  fight  the  Titans.     Aglaosthenes  ap.  (Erat.)  Cat.  30. 

8Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  IV,  1491. 

6  Steph.  Byz.  5.  vv.  Mtvwa,  Hapo;;  Plin.  N.  H.  IV,  6,  7;  Solin.  XI,  26. 

7Hyg.  Astr.  II,  4;  Eustath.  ad  Dion.  517. 

8  Solin  XI,  26. 

"Apollod.  Ill,  15,  7  and  8. 

10  ibid.  11,  5,  9. 

11  Diod.  V,  79,  1. 

12  Scymnus  Chius.  580  ff ;  Diod.  V,  79,  1. 
"Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  ^oXefavBpoq. 

14  Menander  Rhet.   IX,  191  Walz. 

1BApollod.  Ill,  2;  Zeno  Rhod.  ap.  Diod.  V,  59,  1. 

16  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1,  185. 


Cretan  Colonies  63 

from    Crete1    implies   a    colony.     The   mythical    connection    is 
fairly  good  otherwise. 

Siphnos  had  a  city  and  a  spring  called  Minoa.1 
Thasos  was  ruled  by  Alcaeus  and  Sthenelus,   sons  of  An- 
drogens, whom  Heracles  had  taken  from  Paros  to  Thasos.3 

2.  The  Mainland  of  Greece 

On  Mt.  Lycaeus  in  Arcadia  there  was  a  place  Cretea,  where 
Zeus  was  said  to  have  been  born.4  Cretan  influence  can  be 
traced  also  in  the  myths  of  Lycosura  and  Megalopolis.5 

Argolis  had  a  town  Minoa.6 

Though  Attica  is  united  to  Crete  by  innumerable  myths, 
there  is  no  story  of  actual  colonization,  unless  we  consider  as 
such  the  founding  of  the  Delphinium  by  Cretan  sailors  led  by  a 
dolphin7  or  the  coming  of  Demeter  to  Eleusis.8 

In  Boeotia  the  conditions  are  the  same.  Myth  and  cult 
declare  the  close  relation  of  Boeotia  to  Crete,  but  there  is  no 
record  of  a  colony.  We  are  told,  however,  that  Rhadamanthys 
(q.  v.)  lived  in  Boeotia. 

In  Laconia  the  city  of  Pyrrhichos  received  its  name  from  one 
of  the  Curetes.9  Tettix,  the  Cretan,  founded  a  colony  at  Taen- 
arum.10 

Megaris  had  its  Minoa.11  The  city  of  Megara  itself  passed 
under  Cretan  control.12 

For  Phocis  we  have  the  very  early  legend  of  the  founding  of 
Delphi.13  Apollo,  in  the  guise  of  a  dolphin,  led  Cretan  mer- 
chants around  the  Peloponnesus  to  the  Crisaean  gulf.  These 
Cretans  were  his  first  priests.   The  story  was  rationalized  and  a 

1  Diod.  V,  77,  3- 

2Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  MtvQa. 

3  Apollod.  II,  5,  9,  13. 

4  Paus.  VIII,  38. 

5  Paus.  VIII,  37,  6;  VIII,  31,  3. 
*ibid.  Ill,  23,  11;  Strab.  VIII,  6,  1. 

7  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  H\  AeX?tvi<p. 

8  Hym.  Horn.  Ill,  120;  Diod.  V,  77,  3. 

9  Paus.  Ill,  25,  1. 

10  Plut.  ser.  num.  vind.  560;  Suid.  5.  v.  'Apx^oX0?- 
"Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Mtvwa;  Paus.  1,  44,  3;  Plut.  Nicias  VI;  Thuc.  Ill,  51,  1. 
12  cf.  "Nisus";  Strab.  IX,  1,  4. 

"Hym.  Horn.  Ill,  387;  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  AeX<p(vco?;  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v. 
AeXtpol;  Schol.  Arat.,  p.  403  Maas. 


64  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

man  Delphus,1  or  Icadius,2  or  Castalius3  became  the  leader. 
The  Cretan  colony  which  finally  settled  in  Bottiaea  remained  at 
Delphi  for  a  while.4 

For  Macedonia  we  have  only  the  story  of  the  occupation  of 
Bottiaea  under  Bottom5  The  settlers  were  either  companions 
of  Minos  on  his  Sicilian  expedition,  who  had  remained  in  Iapygia 
for  a  time  and  then  went  on  to  Macedonia;6  or  a  Cretan  ir.^yr, 
together  with  the  descendants  of  the  youths  and  maidens  of  the 
Athenian  tribute,  who  first  went  to  Delphia,  then  to  Iapygia, 
finally  to  Bottiaea;7  or  Cretans  who  came  from  Cnossus  with 
Theseus.8 

In  Thrace  the  town  of  Maroneia  became  the  fief  of  Euanthes, 
general  of  Minos.9  Zerynthus  was  founded  by  the  Corybantes,10 
a  statement  which,  if  taken  together  with  the  tradition  that 
Phaedra  built  a  temple  of  Aphrodite  at  the  same  place,11  may- 
mean  that  Zerynthus  was  a  Cretan  colony.  The  Orphic  mys- 
teries of  Thrace  were  said  to  be  derived  from  Crete.12 

3.  Asia 

According  to  tradition  the  Carians  were  subject  to  Minos  or 
were  expelled  by  him  from  the  islands,  after  which  they  settled 
on  the  coasts  of  Asia  Minor.13  They  seem  often  to  have  been 
on  friendly  terms  with  the  Cretans,14  even  amalgamating  with 
them.15  According  to  some  authors  the  Carians  were  Cretans,16 
but  they  themselves  denied  this.17     The  Caunians,  their  neigh- 


1  Int.  Mai.  Aen.  IV,  146. 
2Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  332. 

3  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  AeX^Jvcoq. 

4  Arist.  frag.  443  Bekker. 
5Strab.  VII,  frag.  1 1. 

6  Conon.  Narr.  25;  Strab.  VI,  3,  2;  VI,  3,  6. 

7  Arist.  frag.    443  Bekker;  Plut.  Qu.  Gr.  298  F. 

8  Strab.  VI,  3.  6. 

9  Diod.  V,  79,  1. 
10Nonnus  XIII,  400. 

11  Schol.  Lye.  449. 

12  Diod.  V,  77,  3. 

13  Thuc.  1,  4;  Isocrat.  Enc.  Hel.  68;  Hdt.  I,  171. 
14Paus.  VII,  2,  5;  VII,  3,  4. 

15Strab.  XII,  8,  5;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1,  584. 
"Pomp.  Mela,  i,  83. 
17  Hdt.  1,  171. 


Cretan  Colonies  65 

bors,  closely  related  to  them  in  language  and  customs,  boasted 
of  their  Cretan  descent.1  Nonnus2  makes  Caunus,  son  of  the 
Cretan  Asterius,  ruler  of  the  Carians.  The  Curetes  took  Caria 
on  the  advice  of  an  oracle.3     There  was  a  Portus  Cressa  in  Caria.4 

In  Ionia  the  town  of  Cretinion  near  Ephesus  was  settled  by 
Thessalians,  who  had  lived  in  Crete  for  a  long  time.5  Idomeneus 
died  at  Colophon6  or  at  Clarus.7  Cretans  under  Rhacius  got 
control  of  the  surrounding  seacoast,  drove  out  the  Carians,  and 
established  the  oracle  at  Clarus.8  Erythrae  became  the  prop- 
erty of  Erythrus,  son  of  Rhadamanthys.9  Magnesia  on  the 
Meander  had  a  Cretan  contingent  among  its  first  settlers.10  At 
Miletus  the  oldest  city,  Palaemiletus,  was  a  Cretan  colony 
founded  by  Sarpedon  and  named  after  the  Cretan  town  of 
Miletus.11  Another  story  makes  the  founder  Miletus,  son  of 
Euxantius,  grandson  of  Minos,  or  son  of  Apollo  and  Areia, 
daughter  of  Cleochus.  His  mother  exposed  him  in  a  ix(Xa£ 
bush,  from  which  he  got  his  name.  Minos  and  Sarpedon  later 
were  fond  of  him.  Minos  was  jealous  of  Sarpedon,  so  Miletus 
and  Sarpedon  left  Crete.  Miletus  founded  the  cities  of  Miletus 
on  Samos  and  Miletus  in  Asia  Minor.12  Another  report  makes 
him  the  founder  of  Oecusion.13 

Lycia  was  taken  by  Sarpedon  of  Crete  with  an  armed  force 
of  Cretans  and  Carians.14  Herodotus15  thought  the  laws  of  this 
country  partly  Cretan.  There  was  a  Creton  polis  in  Lycia.16 
Europa  went  to  Lycia  after  having  been  in  Crete.17 


JHdt.  I,  172;  Strab.  XIV,  2,  3. 

2  Nonnus  Dion.  XIII,  548. 

3  Etym.  M.  s.  v.  EuBwvoq. 

4  Plin.  N.  H.  V,  29. 
6  Parthen.  Erot.  5. 

6  Lye.  424. 

7  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  401. 

8  Paus.  VII,  3,  I. 

9  Diod.  V,  79,  1;  V,  84,  3;  Paus.  VII,  3.  4- 

10  Conon  Narr.  29;  Strab.  XIV,  1,  II;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1,  584. 

11  Ephorus  ap.  Strab.  XIV,  1,  6;  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1,  185. 

12  Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  1,  185;  Anton.  Lib.  30;  Paus.  VII,  2,  5;  Apollod.  Ill,  1,  2; 
Ov.  M.  IX,  444. 

13  Parthen.  Erot.  XI. 

14  Diod.  V,  79,  3;  Paus.  VII,  3,  4;  Strab.  XII,  8,  5;  XIV,  3,  10;  Hdt.  1,  173 

15  ibid. 

16  Polyb.  V,  72,  5. 

17  Hdt.  IV,  45. 


66  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

In  Paphlagonia  there  was  a  city  Cressa  settled  by  Meriones 
after  the  Trojan  war.1 

Pisidia  too  had  a  Creton  polis.2 

Connection  between  the  Troad  and  Crete  is  found  in  the 
mythology  and  in  a  very  old  record  of  a  Cretan  colony.  The 
leader  of  this  expedition  was  Scamander  from  Draucus;3  or 
Teucer,  son  of  Scamander,  or  son  of  Cures  and  Ida  or  Idaea.4 
The  Cretans  received  an  oracle  to  settle  where  they  should  be 
attacked  by  yr^^zlq.  While  they  were  camping  in  the 
Troad  mice  gnawed  off  the  leather  on  their  shields.  This  was 
considered  to  be  the  fulfillment  of  the  oracle,  so  they  settled 
there  and  built  a  temple  of  Apollo  Smintheus,  naming  him  after 
the  Cretan  word  for  mouse,  cfJuv6oq.5 

Near  the  Caucasus  Tarrha,  a  Cretan  colony,  recalled  the  name 
of  a  Cretan  town;6  Asterusia,  the  name  of  a  Cretan  mountain.7 

In  Colchis  Asterius,  the  son  of  Minos,  was  believed  to  have 
given  his  name  to  a  Scythian  tribe  among  whom  he  settled.8 

Gaza  in  Philistia,  originally  called  Minoa,9  was  well  known  for 
the  worship  of  the  Cretan  Zeus.10  Minos,  Rhadamanthys,  and 
Aeacus  went  there  according  to  one  tradition.11 

There  is  no  literary  record  of  Cretan  influence  in  Phoenicia. 

Arabia  had  a  town  Minoa.12  The  Minaei  traced  descent  from 
Minos,13  the  Rhadamei  from  Rhadamanthys;14  this  may  have 
been  etymological  descent  only. 


1  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Kp-rjaaa. 

2  Diod.  XVIII,  44,  3. 

3  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  108;  Lye.  1302;  Nicol.  Dam.  frag.  21,  Exc.  de  virt. 
4Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  108;  Schol.  Lye.  1302-1308. 

6Callinus  frag.  7  Bergk;  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  108;  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  'Apta^T); 
Etym.  M.  s.  v.  SxctyucvBpoq;  Lye.  1302  and  schol.;  Clem.  Al.  Protr.  II,  39, 
p.  11  Sylb.;  Diet.  Cret.  II,  14. 

6  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Tappx 

7  ibid.  s.  v.  'AaTSpO'JJta. 

8  Nonnus  Dion.  XIII,  244;  XL,  285. 

9  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  M  ivcpa. 

10  ibid.  s.  v.  Ta^a;  Epiphan.  Ancor.  109,  C. 

11  Steph.  Byz.  5.  v.  Tct^a. 

12  ibid.  s.  v.  Mivwx 

13  Plin.  N.  H.  VI,  28,  32. 
M  ibid.  VI,  168. 


Cretan  Colonies  67 

4.  The  West 

In  Sicily  there  was  a  city  called  Minoa,1  founded  by  Minos2 
or  by  the  Cretans,  who  remained  on  the  island  after  the  death 
of  their  king.3  The  city  was  said  to  have  been  governed  by 
Cretan  laws.4  Engyon  was  founded  by  some  of  the  men  who 
had  been  with  Minos;  they  were  later  reinforced  by  Meriones 
and  his  followers.5  The  city  was  famous  for  the  temple  of  the 
Cretan  "Mothers."6  Demeter's  and  Iasion's  journeys  to  Sicily 
may  represent  traditions  of  early  colonization.7  The  foundation 
of  Gela  by  Cretans  and  Rhodians  occurred  within  historical 
times.8 

Italia  is  mentioned  as  a  daughter  of  Minos;9  this  may  reflect 
the  tradition  of  Cretan  colonies  in  Italy.  In  the  very  beginning 
Cronus  or  Saturnus,  the  Cretan  Titan,  ruled  in  the  west.10  After 
his  expulsion  from  Crete  by  his  son  Jupiter,  he  went  to  Janus, 
king  of  the  Janiculum,  received  a  grant  of  land  from  him,  and 
built  a  city  on  the  spot  where  later  stood  his  temple  in  the 
Roman  forum.  Afterward  Cronus  returned  to  Crete.11  This 
account  does  not  seem  to  have  any  historical  value.  More 
probable  is  the  story  of  Herodotus,12  that  a  Cretan  expedition 
set  out  for  Sicily  to  avenge  the  death  of  Minos,  but  was  finally 
forced  to  leave  the  island.  On  their  way  home  a  storm  drove 
them  to  Iapygia  where  they  founded  Hyrie  and  other  cities  and 
became  Iapygians.  This  story  is  repeated  with  slight  modifica- 
tions by  many  authors.  It  was  not  a  new  Cretan  expedition, 
but  the  followers  of  Minos  themselves  who  went  to  Iapygia;13 


JSteph.  Byz.,  Suid.  s.  v.  Mcvwa;  Polyb.  i,  25,  9;  Plut.  Dion.  25;  Diod. 
XVI,  94;  Hdt.  V,  46;  Liv.  XXIV,  35. 

2  Diod.  XVI,  9,  4. 

3  Diod.  IV,  79,  5. 

4  Heraclid.  Pont.  29. 

6  Diod.  V,  79,  5,  6,  7;  Sil.  It.  XIV,  39. 

6  ibid. ;  Plut.  Marcell.  20. 

7  Diod.  V,  77,  4;  Eust.  Od.  V,  125. 

8  Diod.  VIII,  23;  Thuc.  VI,  4,  3;  Schol.  Pind.  O.  II,  16. 
9Serv.  Aen.  1,  533. 

10  Diod.  V,  66,  5. 
"Serv.  Aen.  VIII,  319. 

12  Hdt.  VII,  170;  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  TpiT). 

13  Conon  Narr.  25. 


68  Crete  in  the  Greek  Tradition 

their  leader  was  Iapyx,  son  of  Daedalus;1  they  were  Cretans 
searching  for  Glaucus;2  they  were  Cretans  leaving  their  home 
with  Theseus.3  Aristotle  identifies  them  with  the  Bottiaean 
colony.4  The  cities  founded  in  Iapygia  were  Hyrie,  which  is 
either  Uria  or  Veretum,5  further  Tarentum,  and  Brundisium.6 

Idomeneus  settled  at  Sallentinum  in  Calabria,  where  he  built 
a  town  and  a  temple  of  Athene.7  Daunia  was  supposed  to  have 
been  colonized  by  Cleolaus,  son  of  Minos.  Glaucus,  son  of 
Minos,  settled  in  Latium.  Spartans  came  with  him  to  a  spot 
between  Caieta  and  Terracina.8  We  must,  however,  be  scep- 
tical where  Glaucus  is  concerned,  because  the  Italic  divinity 
Virbius  was  identified  with  him  (vid.  Glaucus).9  Hydrus, 
according  to  a  doubtful  account,  was  a  colony  of  Bienne  in 
Crete.10 

In  Gaul  we  have  only  the  story  of  the  founding  of  Bienne  or 
Vienne  from  the  Cretan  Bienne,  which  may  be  simply  an  at- 
tempt to  connect  the  two  names.11 

The  founding  of  Cyrene  in  Africa  by  Therans  and  Cretans 
occurred  in  historical  times.12  The  story  of  Apollo  bringing  the 
nymph  Cyrene  first  to  Crete  then  to  Africa13  seems  to  be  a 
poetical  expression  of  the  Cretan  participation  in  the  settling  of 
this  African  city. 

The  account  of  Tacitus  that  the  Jews  (Judaei)  were  originally 
Cretans  (Idaei)  is  merely  an  "argumentum  e  nomine."14 

5.    Summary 

Of  the  partial  truth  of  these  records  of  Cretan  colonies  there 
can  be  no  doubt.  On  almost  all  of  the  islands  of  the  Aegean 
archaeological  evidence  of  Cretan  influence  has  been  found.     As 

»Solin.  II,  7;  Plin.  N.  H.  Ill,  102;  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  332. 
2  Ath.  XII,  522  f. 
3Strab.  VI,  3,  6. 

4  Arist.  frag.  443  Bekker;  Strab.  VI,  3,  6. 

5  ibid. 
s  ibid. 

7  Serv.  Aen.  Ill,  121;  Verg.  Aen.  Ill,  400;  Strab.  VI,  3,  5;  Solin.  II,  10. 

8  Serv.  Aen.  X,  564;  VII,  796;  VIII,  72  and  330. 

9  But  cf.  Peet.  Early  Iron  Age,  p.  294. 

10  Steph.  Byz.  s.  v.  Biewr,. 

11  ibid. 

"Hdt.  IV,  158,  161. 
13Schol.  Ap.  Rh.  II,  498. 
14  Tac.  Hist.  V,  2. 


Cretan  Colonies  69 

regards  the  mainland,  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  just  those 
cities  where  the  most  important  remains  of  Cretan  culture  have 
been  found,  e.  g.,  Tiryns  and  Mycenae,  do  not  occur  in  the 
tradition  as  colonies  of  Crete.  The  legends  perhaps  then  record 
only  the  actual  settlements  made  by  Cretans  and  not  merely 
the  transmission  of  Cretan  civilization.  Influence  of  the  island 
on  Asia  Minor  is  well  established.  In  Sicily  and  Italy  traces  of 
Cretan  culture  have  been  found,  so  the  tradition  of  colonies  sent 
to  the  west  can  not  be  entirely  rejected,  though  we  must,  of 
course,  discount  the  later  Roman  legends;  the  motives  for  the 
invention  of  legendary  connection  between  Rome  and  Greece 
were  very  strong. 


VII.    CONCLUSION 

In  summing  up  this  investigation  we  must  keep  in  mind  that 
our  results  can  not  be  very  definite  since  our  materials  are  at  so 
many  points  open  to  criticism.  We  may,  however,  accept  the 
Greek  legends  of  Crete  as  true  for  the  following: 

Early  religious  influence  of  Crete  on  Greece  is  shown  by  the 
myths  stating  that  some  of  the  earliest  divinities  of  Greece  were 
Cretan  in  origin,  that  many  important  gods  were  connected  with 
Crete  in  some  way  or  other,  that  some  of  the  chief  religious  cen- 
ters of  Greece  were  either  founded  by  Cretans  or  at  least  owed 
their  origin  to  some  event  concerned  with  Crete,  that  many  of 
the  rites  and  festivals  of  Greece  were  connected  with  Crete. 

Of  the  earliest  history  of  the  island  the  legends  have  preserved 
these  facts:  Crete  was  at  a  very  early  time  the  seat  of  a  high 
civilization  which  originated  on  the  island;  it  was  filled  with 
flourishing  communities,  and  was  well  governed  by  heroic  kings; 
it  seems  to  have  had  internal  peace  until  after  the  Trojan  war; 
a  very  lively  intercourse  existed  between  Crete  and  the  rest  of 
Greece.  That  Cretan  civilization  suffered  a  great  decline  after 
the  Trojan  war  is  not  only  a  clear  statement  of  the  legends,  but 
may  also  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  there  are  practically  no 
traditions  for  the  subsequent  time. 

The  people  living  in  Crete  were  of  various  tribes.  Some  of 
them  are  not  to  be  found  at  any  other  place  and  may  represent 
a  pre-Greek  population,  others  bear  names  that  occur  also  in 
Greece;  they  are  the  Hellenic  Dorians  and  Achaeans  and  the 
Pelasgians  of  disputed  affinities.  The  traditions  do  not  give  us 
clear  evidence  whether  these  are  to  be  considered  the  bearers  of 
Cretan  culture  or  whether  they  belong  to  the  great  number  of 
invading  bands  which  put  an  end  to  it. 

The  records  of  Cretan  colonies,  especially  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  the  Mediterranean,  are  also  to  a  large  extent  true.  The 
farther  we  get  away  from  Crete,  and  the  nearer  we  come  to  Rome 
the  more  sceptical  we  must  be. 

70 


Conclusion  71 

The  value  of  these  facts  which  we  gain  from  a  study  of  the 
legends  is  not  to  be  underrated,  since  they  either  support  or 
supplement  the  knowledge  of  Crete  gained  from  the  excavations. 
They  are  also  interesting  in  that  they  show  that  the  Greeks  them- 
selves had  not  lost  all  recollection  of  the  first  great  civilization  L 
in  the  Aegean  and  its  importance  for  their  own  culture. 


VIII.     BIBLIOGRAPHY 

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